A Hero in Time!
by DuckyDew21
Summary: Callie had been raised in a world where owning a pokémon was treated the same as murder. With Lord Ghetsis in control, Team Plasma was now the law, and all pokémon had long since been liberated from their trainers, whether willingly or by force. Soon, Callie is chosen by Celebi to save the pokémon world! The only problem? She has to go back in time over twenty years to do it.
1. Back to the Beginning!

**Author's Note: Hey guys! So, this is a story idea I've been nurturing for a while, and I'm finally ready to give it a shot! This is based off the games, B2/W2 to be specific, though there will be some adaptations from the anime thrown in there. The biggest thing to note is that Ash, Cilan, and Iris will not be making any appearances in this story (aside from their game counterpart)! Also, I modified the age that trainer's go on their journey — I feel like ten is just a bit too young, y'know? Anyway, I won't ramble on for too much longer. So, without further ado, here's chapter one! Enjoy!**

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Chapter One

"Imagine a world where owning pokémon was a crime. A world where even befriending a pokémon was worthy of jail time. For so many, living in a world without pokémon companions used to be unimaginable. Pokémon were a seemingly permanent part of everyone's lives, the thought of not having them around was something that never crossed their minds. However, things changed when an organization by the name of Team Plasma rose to power in the Unova region. Their first attempt to free pokémon was almost successful, but two unnamed heroes battled and defeated Team Plasma, thwarting their efforts, and sending them into hiding. However, after two years of keeping a low profile and hiding underground, Team Plasma once again began to steal and free pokémon, but this time, the two heroes were no where to be found.

"One man rose to the occasion and attempted to stop Team Plasma — a man by the name of Weston Gates. He and his pokémon fought vigilantly, but in the end, he was defeated and was never seen again. Ghetsis, the leader the Team Plasma, summoned and captured the legendary pokémon, Kyruem. With the power of Kyruem and his countless followers at his disposal, Ghetsis forced everyone in Unova to release their pokémon, and shut off any connections the region had to other parts of the world.

"It's been twenty years since Lord Ghetsis rose to power, and his power has reached to the Sinnoh, Kanto, and Johto region. Each city in Unova is under the careful watch of his men. Pokéball production came to a screeching halt when Lord Ghetsis took control. The only people who had pokémon were members of Team Plasma and Ghetsis himself — if anyone else was found with pokémon in their possession, they would be arrested immediately and taken to see Lord Ghetsis himself. What happened from there, though, no one knew.

"Some people think there's no hope for the Unova region, and that one day, Lord Ghetsis will spread his grasp to the entire globe. Then, there are some hopeful spirits who think that our savior is coming, and soon, people and pokémon will be reunited. No one is to say who is right and who is wrong, but when it comes to personal opinion, I can't help but to believe in wishful thinking. However, as for when either of those days will come, only time will tell."

Applause filled the class room filled with high school seniors. Before the class stood a young girl with long, curly brown hair and blue eyes hidden behind thick framed glasses. The girl blushed from her classmate's applause, and she smiled sheepishly, rubbing her arm as she waited for her teacher to send her back to her desk.

"Very nice, Callie," mused Mrs. Hightower, her history teacher. "You kept it short but interesting, and you managed to avoid being too biased on a very sensitive subject — but you did seem to take sides towards the end. All in all, you did spectacularly. Take your seat."

Callie nodded and quickly returned to her desk amongst her peers. Her heart was beating in her ears, and her face was burning from embarrassment — public speaking triggered her anxiety. However, classmate after classmate went to the front and read their own papers on important historical moments, and Callie felt herself calming down with each passing moment.

As soon as the last student sat down, the bell rang, signifying the end of class, and the end of the school day. Callie stood, gathering her books in her arms and tossing her bag over her shoulder, determined to make it out of the classroom first — she had plans for after school, and trying to fight her way through the crowd would just make her late. She squeezed past her classmates and headed down the hallway, taking various turns and cutting corners, trying to avoid other students. Soon, she was walking through the front doors of her high school, stepping out into Castelia City. The sun was high in the sky, which was clear of any clouds. Spring was definitely in the air, and Callie grinned — it was Friday, her favorite day of the week, and not just because she was out of school for two days.

She took off down the sidewalk away from her school, traveling at a brisk walk speed. However, she didn't make it very far before the pink Holo Caster on her wrist began vibrating. Callie sighed, coming to a halt, and shifted her books to one arm before answering the call. As soon as she did so, a hologram of her mother appeared before her, smiling brightly.

"Callie, you're out of class!"

"Sure am," Callie said, sighing inwardly — her mother did this everyday.

"Are you on your way home?"

"No, Mom, it's Friday — I'm seeing Zoro today, you know that," Callie reminded her mother.

Her mother frowned. "I know, I know. . . . When am I going to get to know this Zoro friend of yours, hm? You've spent every Friday for years with him, and I've only met him a handful of times. He's not a very talkative person. . . . Are you sure you two are just friends?"

"I've told you, Mom, he's shy — and his parents are divorced, so he's only in Castelia City on the weekends when he's visiting his dad, so he can't come over a lot. And I promise, Zoro is nothing more than a friend — stop asking."

"Fine, but you can't blame a mother for worrying!" her mother said with a sigh.

"I know, I know," Callie said, shaking her head.

Her mother was silent for a few moments before she spoke again.

"You're not going to be around any pokémon, right?"

Callie eyes widened, and she shook her head quickly.

"W-what?" Callie said with wide eyes. "Pokémon? Mom, you know I would never do that —"

"I know you wouldn't, but I don't know your little Zoro friend," her mother said. "I just want to make sure you're always making good decisions, okay? Don't let anyone peer pressure you into anything especially playing with pokémon! You know you can't trust those things — stay away from them!"

Callie rolled her eyes at her mother — she could go on about how terrible pokémon were for hours.

"I understand, Mom," Callie said with a sigh. "I'll be good, okay?"

"Alright, well. . . . Just don't stay out too late, okay?"

"Got it. See you tonight. Love you, Mom."

"Love you too, sweetie — be safe!"

The Holo Caster shut off, and Callie sighed — her mother was a nosey one, that's for sure. And she was always so worried about Callie coming into contact with pokémon — her mother was vehemently against pokémon. She hated them for some reason or another; she never really answered Callie whenever she asked for her mother's reasoning to hate pokémon.

Callie shook her head and took a moment to tuck her books into her bag before heading off again, her mind set on finding Zoro. She walked through the large city, avoiding the gazes of the Team Plasma officers who patrolled the street — lucky for Callie, she didn't draw much attention, so she was able to get to her destination without anyone stopping her.

Finally, after twenty minutes of walking, Callie came to a halt — she was standing in front of what used to be the Pokémon Center in Castelia City, but it was shut down shortly after Lord Ghetsis took control. The paint on the outside of the building was chipped and faded, and the neon sign was cracked and broken. The windows and doors were boarded up to keep people out. Callie had never seen a functioning Pokémon Center. She was only seventeen, which meant that she was born three years after Team Plasma rose to power. In fact, Callie had only seen actual pokémon a few times — Team Plasma officers carried them around in pokéballs, and sometimes they used them to scare civilians.

Callie walked around to the side of the building to an alley, glancing over her shoulder before walking down the dark alley. She walked quickly, ducking behind a dumpster that was pushed against the side of the old Pokémon Center — this is where she met Zoro every Friday after school. Callie knew she was risking everything by coming here, because if she was caught, it would be the end of the line for her, but she loved seeing Zoro, and that made the risk worth it.

"Zoro," she whispered. "I'm here — you can come on out!"

For a moment, Callie heard nothing. She was starting to worry that something happened to her friend when she heard tiny footsteps rushing down the alley towards her. She looked over her shoulder and saw a boy roughly her age making his way towards the dumpster Callie was hiding behind. The boy was short and had a slender frame, and he had short black hair. He wore loose-fitting clothes and walked around barefoot. A large smile broke across Callie's face, and she came out from behind the dumpster, opening her arms.

"Zoro! There you are! I was worried!"

Zoro smiled and jumped through the air, and something strange happened — Zoro curled into a ball and spun in the air before being consumed by a pink light. Then, once the light faded, it was revealed that Zoro wasn't a boy at all — Zoro was actually a Zorua.

Callie caught the small, slate grey fox-like pokémon in her arms. Zoro nuzzled into her neck, hiding under Callie's curls. The young girl giggled, pulling Zorua back, and said, "Alright, so, what are we doing today? Any plans?"

Zoro's eyes lit up, and he nodded excitedly — Callie had never seen that look in his eyes before. So, she smiled and said, "Well, transform then!"

Zoro transformed, and Callie was staring at the same dark haired boy he always transformed into. The two started walking, emerging from the alley, and headed down the sidewalk. Zoro seemed a bit jumpy as they walked — he was constantly checking over his shoulder, making sure no one was following them. It bothered Callie to see him so scared, so she tried some small talk in order to calm his nerves.

"So, are we getting coffee today? Or maybe one of those Casteliacones you like so much?"

Zoro just shook his head, frowning softly, his face creased with worry. Callie frowned, but continued to follow Zoro and didn't speak anymore — he must be worried about Team Plasma. The two walked through the city, earning side glances from the strangers they walked past — Callie didn't draw the attention. Zoro did, which puzzled Callie. Sure, he wasn't wearing any shoes, but it wasn't that strange. She looked over Zoro quickly, trying to figure out what people were staring at — his clothes were fine, he wasn't messy, his hair was rather tame. The only thing odd was his lack of shoes . . . and the tail sticking out from under his shirt.

Callie's eyes widened and she reached out, quickly tugging down the hem of Zoro's shirt, covering his tail — she forgot that whenever Zoro took to his human form, his tail would stay. She looked around, making sure no one saw, but it was too late — she saw an elderly lady whispering to a Plasma officer and pointing their way. Callie's stomach dropped, and she reached forward, grabbing Zoro's hand.

"Zoro," she whispered lowly. "We may need to run."

Zoro gave Callie a questioning look, and she opened her mouth to explain, but stopped when they heard deep voice from behind say, "Hey, you two — stop."

Callie's eyes widened, and both she and Zoro froze. They turned slowly, and came face to face with the Plasma Officer. The man had a burly build and dark eyes, and the badge on his shirt told Callie that this was a higher ranked officer — which wasn't good news for her.

"H-hello, officer," Callie stammered. "Can w-we help you?"

"You can't," he muttered. "But your friend here can. Sir, mind turning around for me?"

Zoro's eyes widened, and he shook his head. The officer glared sharply at him and rested a hand on one of the pokéballs on his belt.

"Sir, I said turn around."

Once again, Zoro shook his head, and Callie could feel her heart about to rip out of her chest.

"W-what seems to b-be the m-matter, officer?" Callie said, trying to calm herself.

"I've been tipped off that your friend here is sporting a pokémon tail — you two should know that wearing such things is not allowed. We can't let you go around appropriating human-pokémon interaction. So, you can either remove the tail and hand it to me, or I'll remove it myself."

Zoro narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head in a defiant 'no'. The officer reached out, grabbing his shoulder and lifted his shirt, reaching for his tail. Panicking, Callie snatched the officer's hand, pulling it away from Zoro's tail.

"No! Leave him alone!" Callie shouted, holding the officer back.

"Why you little — get off of me!" The officer snatched his hand away from Callie and reached for his belt, pulling off a pokéball and releasing a massive Krookodile.

"Krookodile! Hold the girl while I take care of this pest!"

The Krookodile towered over Callie, and the young girl had never been more terrified in her entire life — Krookodile had thick maroon-colored body, black back, and white stomach. It had five triangular spikes on its back: four around the middle of its back, and one large one at the beginning of its tail. Each of the smaller spikes on its back were linked to black, triangular spikes that reached around to its front, slightly overlapping its white stomach. The largest spike sat at the beginning of its long thick tail, which had three, thick, black stripes. The last stripe covered the tip of the tail. Its legs were very short and directly attached to its feet. The feet were wrapped in black and have three white claws facing forward. Krookodile's arms were short and thin with a black stripe around the elbow. Its long, thin fingers were each tipped with a white claw.

Callie's eyes widened as she took in the appearance of the pokémon before her — she had never been face to face with one of Team Plasma's pokémon, much less a Krookodile. The large, reptilian pokémon seized Callie by each of her arms, hoisting her into the air.

"Zoro! Run!" Callie exclaimed.

Zoro looked between her and the officer, who was grinning evilly. Then, with a quick movement, the officer made a move for Zoro's tail. The moment his fingers wrapped around the fluffy tail, Zoro turned into a pink spinning ball before falling on the ground, dazed, in his true, Zorua-form.

The officer's eyes widened. "I can't believe it — a Zorua! Oh, Lord Ghetsis will love this!" He turned to Callie, smirking. "You're gonna get it, girl — harboring a pokémon? Oh boy, you're not gonna like what's gonna happen to you."

Callie glared at the man, struggling in Krookodile's grasp. "I don't care. . . . Zorua, just run!"

Zoro looked up at Callie, his eyes wide, and the officer laughed, reaching towards the small pokémon.

"Oh no ya' don't!"

He seized Zoro by the scruff of his neck and picked him up. "You're coming with me!"

"Put Zoro down!" Callie snapped. "He's a wild pokémon! Leave him alone!"

"He won't be wild for long," said the officer, reaching into his pocket. He pulled a small pokéball out, holding it in his hand. With the press of a button, the pokéball grew to the size of a softball. "I'll capture this Zorua for myself!"

"Zor!"

Zoro, who had reached the end of his patience, was staring at the officer with pure hatred. He turned and bit the man's wrist, and the officer let out a yelp of pain, meanwhile dropping Zoro. The small pokémon quickly shifted, taking on the appearance of a Rapidash. Callie's eyes widened, and Krookodile was surprised as well, letting Callie go in his shock. Zoro rushed forward, still as a Rapidash, and caught Callie on his back, before turning and bucking his two back hooves directly into the chest of the Krookodile, sending the Ground-type pokémon flying. The officer, after recovering from his surprise, put a hand on the other pokéball on his belt, and Callie knew they were in for a fight.

Callie grabbed a fistful of fur in each hand, and said, "Zoro! Quickly, run!"

Zoro didn't need any convincing, and he took off, full speed, galloping through the street. People screamed and jumped, trying to get out of their way as they barreled through the crowds of people.

"Stop them!"

Callie turned and saw the officer was pursuing them on the back of a Fearow, flying dangerously low to the ground. People were ducking, and Fearow was having to make sharp movements to avoid buildings and trees. Callie got down close to Zoro, the flames on his back licking at her skin but not burning her — how was this happening?

"We have to lose them, Zoro!" Callie exclaimed.

Zoro nodded, signifying he understood, but he continued to run down the sidewalk in a straight line, passing alleys and other turn offs that they could use to get away. Callie wanted to yell at Zoro, but she thought about how he was acting earlier, and she realized he must be heading towards his original destination. Callie stole a glance over her shoulder and stifled a scream — the original Plasma officer was now accompanied by four other officers, all barreling towards them.

"Er — Zoro! You better have a plan! They're gaining on us!" Callie exclaimed.

Zoro looked at Callie over his shoulder, making it known that he heard her, loud and clear. Finally, as they dove through a crowd of people, he darted down an alleyway, and Callie looked ahead — the alleyway led straight to the old pokémon gym. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the five Plasma officers run by the alleyway, not realizing where they went. Callie let out a sigh of relief — they had lost them for a moment.

The side of town with the abandoned gym was practically deserted — not many people ventured this way. The only people who really hung out on this side of the city were those who liked to cause trouble. Zoro ran straight towards the gym, and, much to Callie's surprise, right through the doors — they had opened by themselves. Zoro slowed down once in the lobby of the abandoned gym, and he came to a halt. Callie slid off Zoro's back, glancing around the gym — it was dark and dusty, and there was a stench of musk that hung in the air. The botanical garden inside the gym, which used to be kept well groomed and tidy before Team Plasma's rise to power, was now over grown, tangled, and mostly dead, giving a savage look to the already decrepit building. She looked behind them and saw that the doors had mysteriously shut themselves, leaving them in the dark gym, the only light coming from the sunlight that filtered its way through the dirty windows that lined the walls of the building. There was a soft 'whoosh' beside her, and she glanced to the side and saw Zoro was now his normal self again, a small Zorua, and he was looking up at Callie patiently.

"Why'd you bring me here, Zoro?" Callie crossed her arms and glanced from side-to-side — no one was allowed in this gym. It was blocked off shortly after Team Plasma took over and Burgh, the former gym leader, was taken away under Ghetsis's orders.

Zoro just motioned for Callie to follow him, and he began to wander deeper into the gym. Callie stood at the entrance for a moment, looking around nervously — she really shouldn't be there. She was sure it wouldn't be long before Team Plasma tracked them down to the old gym, and once they were here, she had no idea where they would go — Zoro could transform into a Flying-type and get them out of there, sure, but where would they go? She was only seventeen — she had no idea how to properly run away from the authorities.

"Zoro!"

Zoro's call echoed throughout the eerily empty building and Callie shook her head, clearing her thoughts — she needed to find Zoro before anything else. So she looked across the barren gym and saw Zoro standing in the middle of the gym floor looking around impatiently. She gave a curious look and made her way towards him before she knelt down in front of him, frowning.

"Zoro, I don't know why you brought me here, but we can't stay long — if those Team Plasma officers show up, they'll take us both away, and I have no idea what they'd do to you, but I think it's best if we don't find out," she muttered, furrowing her brows.

However, Zoro continued to ignore her, instead just turning his head from side to side and he looked around for whatever it was he was seeking. She attempted to get his attention again, but to no avail, and she quickly began to grow frustrated — their lives were on the line, but he didn't seem to care.

"Zoro," Callie said, her voice rising — it was hard to keep calm when she felt like Team Plasma would come barging through the doors any second now. "We really need to get moving — I don't know what you wanted to show me, but it has to wait — they'll find us soon, I'm sure." She made a move to pick him up, but Zoro quickly darted away from her, still looking around. Callie growled in frustration but held her tongue — there was no use in getting mad at Zoro, it would only scare him. So she took a deep breath and sighed heavily before saying, "Zoro, come on — we need to move. I'm sorry, but we can't wait around all day for whatever you want to show me — whatever it is, it's not here. We need to start —"

"Zor! Zor!"

Zoro suddenly began yipping wildly, his eyes wide with delight as he ran around in circles. Callie stopped in her tracks and watched her small pokémon friend in bewilderment — what had him so riled up? She opened her mouth to speak, but paused when she saw something moving — _somethings_ moving. The trees and bushes planted in the gym's botanical garden were moving — the black and brown leaves were becoming the most beautiful shade of green she had ever witnessed. Shriveled vines and dead branches were coming back to life right before her very eyes — the whole garden was being revived! Flowers were blooming, filling the abandoned gym with the most pleasant array of aromas. Within moments, the entire botanical garden appeared to be alive and healthy, appearing as if nothing had happened — twenty years of neglect erased in a matter of seconds, and Callie was there to witness it with her very eyes.

She stared around with wide eyes and mouth agape — she was born after the Team Plasma take over, so she never had the chance to see the botanical garden at its finest, and there she was, witnessing the garden's rebirth. She looked to Zoro, wondering what his reaction was, and was surprised to find that he was simply sitting there smiling, as if the garden coming to life wasn't surprising whatsoever.

"Zoro," she said slowly. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"

The small fox-like pokémon simply smirked and turned his attention back towards the garden — Callie got the feeling there was more for her to see.

And oh boy was she right.

At first she only caught a glimpse — a flash of light green went by. She turned her head but saw nothing — there were only trees. She frowned and turned back to Zoro, only to let out a gasp.

There, standing in front of her, was Zoro, staring up happily at a pokémon Callie had only heard of in legends — the pokémon was a green fairy-like creature. It had round toeless feet, three-fingered hands, and clear wings on its back. Its head was round and came to a curved point, and it had large baby-blue eyes with thick black rings around them, and a pair of green antennae with blue tips.

She took a few hesitant steps forward as the two pokémon muttered quietly to one another. Finally, once Callie only stood a few feet away from them, she managed to find the will to speak.

"Cel. . . . Celebi?"

The mythical pokémon looked up from Zoro to Callie, its large eyes staring at her, taking in her every feature it seemed.

"Are you. . . . Callie?" A gentle voice echoed, and Callie's eyes widened.

"Who said that?" Callie said quickly, turning her head all around.

Celebi seemed to laugh and Callie heard the voice again. "I did."

Callie paused and turned her head towards Celebi, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Celebi?" She said slowly, cocking her head to the side. "You said that? But. . . . How? Unless. . . . Telepathy?"

"You're very smart," Celebi replied with a nod. "So. . . . Are you Callie?"

Slowly, Callie nodded. "Yes, I am. But how did you know?"

"Zoro has told me much about you," said Celebi.

"Zoro told you about . . . me?" echoed Callie. Celebi nodded and Callie simply shook her head — she should have guessed. "Zoro brought me here — he wanted to show me something. I-I guess that you were what he wanted to show me."

Celebi giggled, covering its mouth, and nodded. "Yes, I wanted to meet you."

The young girl's face twisted into one of confusion. "I'm sorry — you wanted to meet me?"

Celebi nodded. "That's right — there's something I need from you."

Callie stared blankly at Celebi. "You need something from me? What in the world could I possibly do for you? You're Celebi!"

"This is something that I can't do — only a human can, and Zoro says that I can trust you."

Callie looked down at Zoro, who was looking up at her with a smug smile. She cracked a soft smile and looked back to Celebi. "Well, I think I'm rather trustworthy — what is it that you need me to do?"

Celebi's expression changed — it seemed rather troubled. It motioned for Callie to sit, which she did, and Zoro sat in her lap, and the two stared up at Celebi, who hovered above them.

"Well, as you know, things weren't always how they were now," Celebi said. "Pokémon and humans once lived in harmony together — some as pets, others as partners — whatever the relationship, it was mutually beneficial to both pokémon and trainer. However, twenty years ago, Team Plasma took over the Unova region and forced all humans to liberate their pokémon, and soon enough, they extended their reach to many other regions."

"I know," Callie muttered, shaking her head. "But why are you coming to me? How can I help?"

Celebi pursed its lips. "Are you aware of my abilities, Callie?"

The young girl paused and thought about it. "Well. . . . You make plant life flourish, and. . . . I know you can travel through time."

Celebi nodded. "Exactly — and not only can I travel through time, I can bring people back with me, to whenever and wherever I want."

Callie's eyes widened. "That's. . . . That's incredible, don't get me wrong, but. . . . What does that have to do with me?"

Celebi sighed. "I need someone I can trust, Callie — someone I can entrust to fix the past, and I believe that someone is you."

Callie froze — someone to fix the past? Celebi couldn't possibly be suggesting. . . .

"Are you. . . . Are you saying you want to send me back in time?"

"I know it's a lot to take in, but you're the only one I can trust to fix it. You've been friends with Zoro for many years now, and you've never once turned him over to Team Plasma, even though you had the chance. You've voiced to him how you wish things were different, how you wish things were back to how they used to be, before you were born, when humans and pokémon could work side-by-side, both as friends and partners. He's told me everything, and I know I can trust you to do this. It won't be easy, but you're the only person I can entrust with this task."

Callie stood there, dumbfounded, shaking her head. "I. . . . I don't know. I'm only seventeen! I-I don't have any pokémon, I've never seen a pokéball except for the ones in books! And you want to send me back in time to stop Team Plasma?"

"You wouldn't be alone!" Celebi said reassuringly. "Zoro will accompany you." Callie looked down at Zoro, who gazed back up at her with a calming gaze. "And I plan to bring you back in time to the perfect time and place — you'll receive your own pokémon, a set of pokéballs and other supplies."

Callie looked between Celebi and Zoro, her face creased with worry — how was she expected to accomplish a task such as stopping Team Plasma? She shook her head, taking Zoro in her arms and standing up. "I'm sorry, Celebi, but I don't think I can," Callie said. "I have a life here — I have my mom, school, a few friends — I can't just leave all that and go back in time! Won't that change everything, the whole course of history in the past twenty years? I may not be born if I accomplish stopping Team Plasma!"

Celebi shook her head. "If you can stop Team Plasma, I can assure you that I will bring you back to the present, and your life will be the same — the only difference will be that Team Plasma is no longer in control."

"Can you really do that?" Callie said, her eyes wide.

Celebi nodded. "I can — it'll be tricky, I'll give you that, but I can do it."

Callie paused for a moment — she was being chosen for something as big as this. She needed to think about it — she needed to prepare for it. She sighed heavily and nodded.

"Okay, okay, I'll think about it, but I need some time," she said. "I need to go home, do some research and pack — all I have on me is my history book and my pokémon encyclopedia. I have to pack some more clothes — I don't know if they'll take the money I have now," she muttered, rambling on about things she could bring.

Celebi shook its head. "I'm afraid there's no time for that — we must leave now."

"Now?" Callie said. "But why now?"

"Because we're no longer alone — this building in surrounded by Team Plasma guards."

Callie froze and her body tensed, and that's when she heard a booming voice from outside the door.

"Alright! We know you're in there!" It was no doubt a Plasma Officer calling to her. "Come out with your hands up! If you give up the pokémon and come willingly, you will have a lighter punishment!"

Callie looked to Celebi and Zoro, her eyes wide with panic.

"What do I do?" she whispered in harsh tones.

"We must go," Celebi said.

"But I'm not ready!"

"You'll be fine! Zoro will help you, and I'll watch over you!"

"You don't understand — this is bigger than anything I've ever done! I've never battled before, I've never owned a pokémon!"

"It's in your blood, Callie! You were born for this!" Celebi flew towards her and sat on her shoulder.

"What do you mean it's in my blood? How was I born for something like this?"

"If you don't come out now, we're coming in!" The booming voice outside the doors was growing louder and more irritated — she only had seconds before Team Plasma and their pokémon would come bursting through those doors.

Celebi gave Callie a pleading look — there was truly no time to argue. Finally, Callie nodded. "Alright, fine — let's go."

Celebi nodded and let out a startlingly beautiful cry. Suddenly the newly blossomed leaves and flowers began glowing blue, and pulsating waves of white and blue surged through the plants, and Callie watched, completely mesmerized. However, she was brought back to reality when a voice rang through her ears.

"That's it! We're coming in — Arcanine, use Take Down!"

"Celebi, hurry!" Callie shouted.

"Almost . . . Ready," Celebi grunted — it sounded like it was really straining itself.

Suddenly, a crash rang through the air, and Callie turned her attention to the doors of the gym, where she saw the silhouetted figure of a man and Arcanine. Behind him she could see other Plasma officers armed with pokémon. The figure in the doorway ran forward, revealing a high ranking office with coffee brown hair and a stern face.

"Alright, surrender the pokémon or — is that Celebi?"

The officer came skidding to a halt and stared wide-eyed at Callie, Zoro, and Celebi. Then rage filled his eyes and he opened his mouth to shout, but Callie heard nothing — all she could hear was the high pitched cries of Celebi, which were growing louder and louder. She watched the man mouth an order to his Arcanine, and the large canine pokémon took three large steps forward, opening its mouth. As Callie gazed upon it, she saw a small ember building in the back of its throat, and it didn't take her long to realize he was charging up a Flamethrower attack to direct towards them.

She went to look towards Celebi, but suddenly, everything went white, and she couldn't see anything. Her chest felt tight, and for a moment, she thought she had vanished from existence — she couldn't feel, see, or hear anything. She couldn't even smell the fragrance of all the flowers anymore. It happened so suddenly, and while it lasted for mere seconds, it felt like an eternity. Then, all at once, it ended very abruptly, and Callie's senses hit her all at once — it was pleasantly warm with a slight breeze and it smelled distinctly of spring air. She could hear people chattering excitedly amongst themselves, and when she opened her eyes, Callie couldn't help but gasp — she was standing in an alley between two towering buildings that casted looming shadows over them. Her eyes widened, and she looked down at Zoro in her arms, who smiled up at her. Callie then glanced towards Celebi, who was now slouched on her shoulder, exhausted. The pokémon's light green shade had paled considerable, and it began to wobble back and forth for a moment before falling forward off her shoulder.

"Ah! Celebi!"

Zoro jumped from Callie's arms just as she grabbed Celebi, catching it just in time.

"Celebi! Are you okay?"

"I'm. . . . I'm fine. . . . I just need to rest," Celebi muttered.

"Okay, but. . . . Did it work? Are we back in time?"

Slowly, Celebi nodded and said, "We're back. . . . Twenty-one years. . . . Exactly one year from Team Plasma's take over. . . . We're in. . . . Aspertia City. . . . Find the Professor, and you will find your partner."

Callie furrowed her brows. "My partner?"

Celebi shook its head. "Please. . . . Let me rest."

Callie nodded. "Right — there's room in my bag. Is that okay?"

"No. . . . I must go. . . . Home. . . ."

Celebi's small wings began flapping weakly and it rose into the air rather unsteadily.

"Where's home?" Callie said, her face creased with worry as she watched Celebi attempt to fly.

"Home," Celebi said weakly.

"But, I need you! How will_ I_ get home?" Callie said desperately as Celebi floated out of sight.

"When it is time. . . . For you to return. . . . I will find you. . . ," Celebi said. Suddenly, its body became translucent, and it disappeared from sight.

Callie watched for a moment, hoping that it would show up suddenly, but nothing happened.

"How am I supposed to fix this if I don't know how?" Callie called up into the air.

But still, Celebi didn't appear, and Callie sighed heavily. It looked like it was just Zoro and herself now. She looked down at Zoro, who was sitting on the ground staring up patiently at her.

"Well, Zoro, you heard what it said," Callie said looking at the end of the alley where she saw a bright road filled with people walking up and down the sidewalk. "We're in Aspertia City — twenty-one years ago."

Zoro nodded and Callie took a deep breath. "We need to find the Professor, so that means she'll probably have a lab around here, which means we need to go . . . out there. . . . I wonder what I'm gonna see."

Zoro took a few steps forward and nuzzled against Callie's leg, trying to reassure her. She forced a smile and nodded. "Alright. . . . Let's go." She saw Zoro tense, just as he would before he transformed. Quickly, she held up her hands, stopping him. "Zoro, it's okay! You don't have to hide — you can sit on my shoulder. We're safe here."

Slowly, Zoro's body relaxed, and he stared warily up at Callie, who smiled softly and knelt down in front of him, extending her arms. "This is a different time now — you don't have to hide anymore, okay?"

A small smile speed across the Zorua's face, and he nodded before jumping on to Callie's shoulder, and she stood to her feet, straightened up, and held her shoulders back. "Alright, Zoro! Let's go!"

She ran forward into the crowded street, looking from side to side, and immediately, she found herself awe-struck. There were pokémon everywhere. And not feral pokémon, like Rattata and Patrat, which roamed through the sewers and streets of Castelia City back home. Trained pokémon, like Emolga, Lillipup, Purrloin, walking next to their trainers, smiling and enjoying each other's company. There was no fear, no disdain — nothing but the love the pokémon and their trainers. Callie had never seen anything like it before, but it filled her with so much happiness, she knew she wanted to see it more often, and she couldn't help but stare at the trainers and their pokémon. However, she didn't stare long, as people started to notice her gaze and give her strange looks in return. Quickly, she averted her gaze and frowned — she had to try her best not to stick out.

"Okay, so, we need to find the Pokémon Lab, right? Well, there's a GPS system built into my Holo Caster, so I'm sure that will do the trick!" She brought her wrist up to her chest and tapped the screen of the watch-like device on her arm, and it lit up. She smiled lightly as she looked at the background of her screen — a photo of her and her mom together. Callie paused for a moment, thinking about her mom — what was she doing right now? Had she heard from Team Plasma? Did she know Callie was wanted by them for harboring a pokémon?

Callie sighed softly, closing her eyes. "Mom. . . . I promise, I'll fix everything, and I'll be home soon, okay?" She then opened her eyes and clicked the GPS app on her Holo Caster.

"Where would you like to go?" the robotic, feminine voice from her Holo Caster.

"Pokémon Lab, Aspertia City," Callie said quietly.

"Searching for Pokémon Lab, Aspertia City," said her Holo Caster. The screen then changed to a spinning pokéball, something it did whenever it was loading.

"Searching. . . . Searching. . . . Searching. . . . Searching. . . ."

For several minutes, the pokéball rotated over and over again, and Callie found herself growing rather impatient. She poked and prodded the screen of her Holo Caster, trying to get it to work, but she got no where.

"What the heck is going on? This should be working — unless. . . . Ugh," Callie let out a loud sigh, shaking her head. "It must not work since we've gone back in time so far. This probably hasn't even been invented yet. . . ."

"Hey! What kind of Xtransceiver is that? I've never seen that model before," a voice from behind Callie said, startling her.

Callie turned towards the source of the voice and found herself looking at a boy, perhaps only a few years older than herself. He was considerably taller than her, and he had dark brown hair and the eyes to match. He wore a small grin on his face, obviously amused by her startled reaction.

"Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you, I just thought I was up to date with the Xtransceiver — where did you get that?"

Callie smiled nervously, taking a small step backwards as she muttered, "Oh, well, I got it from a fr-friend not to long ago —"

"Wow, is that a Zorua?" The boy interrupted Callie, his attention focused solely on Zoro, who was still perched on Callie's shoulder. She sighed inwardly out of relief — she wasn't sure how she would have explained her Holo Caster. The boy picked up Zoro, holding him in the air. "I've never seen a Zorua in person — amazing!"

Callie nodded hesitantly, quickly taking Zorua back. "Erm, yeah, thanks. . . ."

"Where'd you get one?" said the boy, his eyes wide. "I want to catch one!"

"Well, he's not actually my pokémon," she said as she smiled at Zoro. "We're just really good friends — I don't think I'd ever catch him unless that's what he wanted."

"So you don't have any pokémon then?" said the boy. Callie shook her head and he smiled. "Oh! So you must be one of the other trainers on the way to get your starter pokémon from Professor Juniper's assistant, right?"

"No, I was going to go to her lab," Callie said quietly.

The boy laughed. "Man, you're funny! Her lab is all the way in Nuvema Town — I like your humor," he said with a grin. Callie just gave a nervous laugh, playing along — she hadn't been kidding, but since the Professor's lab was apparently in Nuvema Town, she had to pretend she belonged.

He then held his hand out to Callie, who looked at him blankly. "My name is Wes! It's nice to meet you!"

Callie felt a small smile form and she nodded, holding out her hand while Zorua moved to her shoulder. She shook Wes's hand and said, "My name is Callie, and this is Zoro — do you think there's any way you could help me find Professor Juniper's assistant?"

Wes nodded happily. "Sure thing! She said she'd be at the Aspertia Outlook! We're only a few minutes away, so it shouldn't take too long," he said, taking off down the sidewalk. "You better keep up!"

"Er — okay!" Callie said, taking off after him.

The two of them ran down the sidewalk towards the outlook, which was a raised platform on the outskirts of town. Wes ushered Callie up the stairs, both of them taking their time with the climb.

"So you traveled all the way here from Castelia City?" said Wes with wide eyes. Callie nodded and he smiled. "That's awesome! You must really be excited for your pokémon journey if you traveled all the way here just for a pokémon! It was really nice of Zoro to join you," he added, smiling at the small Zorua who was still perched on her shoulder.

Callie nodded, smiling over at Zoro. "Like I said, we're good friends — he keeps me company."

"Well, I think that's awesome," said Wes. "Maybe one day, you can make him an official part of your party — oh, look, there she is!"

The two of them had reached the top of the stairs and were standing at the top of the Aspertia Outlook. Wes instantly ran over to a young blonde-haired woman standing by a bench. Callie joined him, and the woman continued looking out across the view form the top of the outlook.

"It's sooo pretty!" the woman sighed dreamily. Then, as if she was just realizing that Callie and Wes were standing beside her, she jumped slightly, startled, and smiled. "Oh! My name is Bianca! I'm the assistant of the Pokémon Professor — Professor Juniper. By the way, I'm looking for someone. Do you know a person named Wes?"

"Erm, yeah," Wes said slowly. "That'd be —"

"Oh, wait! You're Wes! Wooow! You're ex-act-ly like what I heard! Nice to meet you!" Bianca looked at Callie quizzically. "You must be the other trainer I'm supposed to meet — you're here early, I like it! What's your name again?"

"Oh, I-I'm Callie," said Callie with a nervous chuckle, her face flushing.

"Oh, great! Well, it's very nice to finally meet the two of you! I have a really important request to ask the both of you! Will you help us complete the PokéDex?" Bianca said with wide, hopeful eyes, holding up a PokéDex to the two of them.

Callie stared at her, mouth agape, but Wes nodded eagerly.

"Of course I will!" Wes practically shouted.

Then the two of them turned and looked at Callie, who was still looking between Bianca and the PokéDex she displayed in her hand. Zoro nudged her gently with his nose, trying to get her to snap out of it. She quickly straightened up, clearing her throat.

"Oh, erm, right," Callie said quickly. She bit her lip nervously, slow shaking her head. "I-I don't know if I should really take a PokéDex."

Bianca's eyes widened, blinking very slowly. "N-no way... I-I must have misheard you. Right? This is a very important request. Will you please help us complete the PokéDex?"

Wes looked at Callie doubtfully. "Hey, c'mon, Callie — you can fill out the PokéDex with Zoro and your new starter pokémon," Wes said encouragingly.

Callie sighed and looked to Zoro, who nodded in agreement with Wes, and then she looked back to Bianca, who was giving her a doe-eyed look, as if trying to wordlessly beg Callie to agree.

With yet another sigh, Callie nodded. "Fine, fine, I just — I don't know if I'm really the best person for a PokéDex."

"Of course you are — you wouldn't have been selected otherwise!" Bianca said excitedly as Callie eyed the PokéDex warily, Zoro inspecting it from a distance as well. Bianca clapped her hands together excitedly. "Oh, wow, thanks! Your support will help Professor Juniper's research move forward! Anyway, filling up the PokéDex is totally fun!"

She then put the PokéDex down and picked up a suitcase she had sitting beside her, a knowing smile on her face.

"Okay, then! Ta-daaa! In here is the pokémon that will be your partner!" said Bianca, opening the suitcase that contained three pokéballs inside — Callie couldn't help but marvel at the sight of the capsules. She had never seen a pokéball in person this close before. "There is a pokémon inside each pokéball — a Tepig, which is a Fire-type, Snivy, which is a Grass-type, and then Oshawott, which is a Water-type! So, how about you guys pick your starter pokémon, hm?"

Wes nodded and looked to Callie, smiling gently. "Why don't you go ahead a pick first?"

"A-are you sure, Wes?" Callie said quietly. He gave her another nod and she smiled. "Okay then — I'll pick. . . . Oshawott!"

"Oh, good choice!" Bianca said while picking up a pokéball and handing it to Callie, who's eyes widened — she was actually holding a pokéball in her hand, and inside that pokéball was a pokémon. . . . Her pokémon. Oshawott.

"Great! Because I wanted Tepig!" Wes said happily, grinning as Bianca handed him his pokéball.

"Well then, you two are all set! You both have your first pokémon, and now it's time for you to both start your adventure!" Bianca said happily, clapping her hands together. "Now, are you two traveling together?"

"Hm? Oh, no, we actually just met on our way here to see you!" Wes said with a laugh. "No, it's just Tepig and me; but I hope I run into you, Callie! I'd love to battle you once we've both gotten the chance to catch some pokémon and train! I think you're going to be a great pokémon trainer!"

Callie smiled softly, still giddy with the fact that she actually possessed a pokémon for the first time in her entire life. Wanting to meet her new friend right then and there, she tossed the pokéball into the air.

"Oshawott! Come on out!"

Suddenly, before her, a sea otter-like Pokémon appeared. It had a spherical white head with small, triangular dark-blue ears on the sides. Oshawott's eyes were dark and its dark orange nose was shaped like a horizontal oval. Several freckles covered its cheeks, and two pointed teeth could be seen in its opened mouth. The light blue fur on its body formed bubble shapes around its neck. Its arms were white and rounded, while its feet were dark blue with three toes each, and it also possessed a rudder-like dark blue tail. The small pokémon stared up at Callie with wide-eyes, and the new trainer couldn't contain her excitement any longer.

"Oshawott, I'm so glad to meet you!" Callie said quickly, kneeling down in front of the pokémon. "My name is Callie, and from here on out, you and I are friends! Oh, and this is Zoro — he's a friend of mine! I'm sure you two will get along!"

Oshawott stared at Callie for second, then to Zoro, then back to Callie, trying to take in everything. For a minute it looked as if he were about to burst into tears from fright, but then a sudden smile spread across his face, and he jumped towards Callie. She was slightly taken aback, but she caught Oshawott, laughing merrily.

"I think he likes us, Zoro!" Callie said to the small Zorua, who grinned wildly.

Bianca clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, wow! You and Oshawott are a perfect match! By the way, would you like to give a nickname to the Pokémon you chose?"

Callie thought about it for a moment, looking down at the small otter-like pokémon in her arms, who was still smiling broadly up at his new trainer. With a soft grin, Callie looked back to Bianca, shaking her head.

"No, I don't think I will," Callie said.

"Okay, gotcha! So, now you've got your pokémon, so I'll give you this, too — a PokéDex! You want to know what it does? The PokéDex is a high-tech device that automatically records the pokémon you encounter! So Professor Juniper wants you to carry this PokéDex, visit a lot of places, and meet all the pokémon in the Unova region!" Bianca said excitedly, handing her and Wes a PokéDex, each one a gleaming red color.

Callie placed Oshawott down beside Zoro and stood up, taking the PokéDex in her hand and looking it over, amazed — she couldn't believe this was happening. Within the last hour, she had traveled back in time, gotten her first pokémon, and was being given a PokéDex so she could go on her very own pokémon journey! This was the more than she could have ever imagined for herself! She looked down at Zoro and Oshawott, who were both watching her with smiles on their faces.

"Well you guys, it looks like this is the beginning — this is our pokémon journey! Can you believe it?" Callie said with a soft smile. She then turned to Wes, who was smiling down at the pokéball in his hand. "Hey, Wes, I just wanted to say thanks for getting me here."

"Absolutely, Callie! And good luck on your —"

"Heeey! How long are you planning on keeping me waiting?" a voice said from behind them

Callie and Wes both jumped slightly and turned, only to see a boy standing there behind them. He had navy blue hair and wore a red jacket and dark pants. Bianca's eyes widened slightly as she stared at the boy, obviously just as startled as Callie and Wes.

"Um . . . who are you again?" Bianca said, blinking slowly.

"I'm Hugh! I'm going to travel the Unova region with my Pokémon partner in order to search for something very important!"

Bianca stood there for a moment, apparently at a loss for words before she suddenly said, "Well, okay! I don't really get it, but going on a journey is always good! Anyway, I just happen to have another PokéDex on me! It looks like the pokémon distribution has really changed compared to two years ago, so the more, the merrier!"

Hugh grinned as Bianca handed him a PokéDex.

"Now, I'll let you know, these two were here first, and they've already picked their pokémon, so I only have one pokémon left," Bianca warned him, motioning to the lone pokéball left in the suitcase.

Hugh shook his head, still smiling, and reached down, picking the pokéball up. "I don't care what kind of pokémon it is! All that matters is that this is my partner! And from this moment forward, we're a team! Come on out!"

Hugh threw his pokéball into the air and released a Snivy, who looked blankly up at him. Callie looked at Snivy, taking in its appearance — it was a reptilian-like Pokémon with a yellow stripe running down the length of its back and tail, and it has yellow markings around its large eyes. Two curved yellow structures that resembled leaves protruded from its shoulders and bent backwards. Its slender arms had three fingers, while its tiny feet had no toes whatsoever. It had a large, palmate leaf with three prongs on the end of is tail. Hugh let out an excited yell, startling his pokémon.

"Oh man, oh man! Look at this! A Snivy! I got a Snivy! How cool is that?" Hugh said happily. He looked around eagerly, his gaze focusing on Wes. "Hey! How about a battle before we start our journeys?"

Wes raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. "Uh, thanks, but no thanks — Tepig and I are gonna hit the road. Nice meeting you, Hugh." Wes then looked to Bianca, smiling politely. "Thanks for Tepig and the PokéDex, Bianca — I promise I won't let you or Professor Juniper down!"

"I'm sure you won't! Bianca said cheerily.

Wes nodded and then looked back to Callie. "Well, Callie, I'm really glad I got the chance to meet you! I can't wait to run into you on the road — I'm really looking forward to battling you!"

Callie smiled softly and gave a firm nod. "Sounds great. Good luck out there, Wes!"

"You too, Callie! See you around!" Wes said before turning and walking off, descending the stairs of the outlook.

Callie watched him disappear and looked down to Oshawott and Snivy.

"Alright, you two, are you ready to hit the road?" she said eagerly to the two pokémon. They both smiled and nodded, and she was just about to invite the two of them to sit on her shoulder when the boy, Hugh, spoke up.

"What's your name? I've never seen you around," Hugh said, eyeing Callie oddly.

"Oh me? I'm Callie," she said gently, smiling. "I'm from Castelia City."

"Castelia City, eh?" Hugh grinned. "You came a long way just to get a pokémon!"

"Yeah, well, I really wanted to start my journey, and —"

"Is that Zorua yours?" Hugh said with wide eyes.

Callie shook her head. "No, no, Zorua is just a good friend — the only pokémon I own is Oshawott."

"That's great, so you're just starting out on your journey then?"

"Sure am!"

"Ooh, I just thought of something cool!" Bianca said suddenly, clapping her hands together excitedly. "You both have Pokémon, right? Why don't you have a pokémon battle?"

"That's a great idea!" Hugh said, smiling fiercely. "Let's see how good a trainer you are, Callie! I'll use my Snivy!"

Callie's eyes widened. "W-what?"

Hugh grinned. "Like Bianca said — let's battle! Your Oshawott against my Snivy! What better way to kick off our journeys?"

"B-but I've never battled before, a-and neither has Oshawott," Callie said, looking down at Oshawott for backup — surely he wouldn't want to battle. However, much to her surprise, Oshawott was looking up at her with a determined look.

"Wait, Oshawott, you want to . . . battle?" Callie said softly.

"Osha!" Oshawott said, giving Callie a firm nod.

The new trainer bit her lip nervously and looked to Bianca and Hugh. "B-but, I don't know any of Oshawott's attacks!"

"Check your pokédex!" said Bianca. "It can tell you all of Oshawott's known moves!"

Callie frowned and looked back down to Oshawott. "You really think we have a chance?"

"Osha!"

She nodded slowly and sighed before turning her attention to Hugh. "Okay, we'll battle, but I've never battled before, so I'm not sure how good I'll be. . . ."

"Don't sweat it! Snivy and I will take it easy on you, won't we, Snivy?" Hugh said to his new grass-type partner. However, Snivy looked at Hugh for a mere moment before turning his head away from him.

"Sniv!" Snivy said shortly.

"Uh oh," Bianca giggled. "I don't think Snivy likes you very much, Hugh."

Hugh frowned. "Well — we can still beat you, Callie! Let's go!"

The two of them stood thirty paces apart facing each other, with Bianca standing in between them — she was going to referee. Zorua stood beside Callie, cheering on Oshawott, who stood in front of Callie, ready to battle. Hugh stood across from her, his Snivy standing in front of him, not looking very interested in the battle whatsoever.

"Okay, this is a one-on-one battle between Callie and Hugh!" Bianca called from between he two trainers, giggling excitedly. "The first pokémon to knock the other out will be the winner! Let the battle — begin!"

"Alright, Callie, since you seem to be newer to this than me, I'll let you make the first move!" Hugh called for across the way.

"Me? Well, okay," Callie muttered. She pulled out the PokéDex and opened it. "Dexter, what are Oshawott's moves?"

A robotic voice instantly responded. "Oshawott's known moves are Tackle, Tail Whip, and Water Gun."

Callie nodded. "Alright, alright — I can do this. . . . Oshawott, use your Tackle attack!"

"Osh!"

Oshawott took off towards Hugh's Snivy and dove at it with his Tackle attack. Before Hugh could even tell his Snivy to dodge it, Oshawott collided with Snivy, sending it rolling backwards.

Hugh clenched his jaw. "Alright, lucky shot — I won't forget the pain you've caused my pokémon! Now, Snivy, retaliate with your own Tackle attack!"

"Sni?" Snivy looked back at Hugh, obviously not caring much for what he was saying.

"Er, Snivy, come on, please? Tackle attack?" Hugh said, frowning.

"Oh no," Bianca frowned. "It doesn't look like Snivy is going to listen to you, Hugh."

"What? No! Why not? Come on, Snivy, please use your Tackle attack?" Hugh begged.

Oshawott looked back at Callie, waiting for some kind of direction. Callie glanced between Oshawott and Hugh, frowning.

"C-can I really attack again without Hugh making a move?" Callie said to Bianca.

Bianca nodded. "That's totally allowed! Wow, you must not know anything about pokémon battles, huh, Callie? It's like you've never seen a battle in your entire life!"

"Yeah, something like that," Callie sighed. "Well, if we don't have to wait then, Oshawott, use Water Gun!"

"Osha!"

Oshawott jumped into the air and used Water Gun, hitting Snivy point blank and sending it tumbling backwards. Oshawott landed on the ground, grinning, and Callie smiled — they were doing it! However, much to her and Oshawott's surprise, Snivy stood up, narrowing its eyes at Oshawott, looking completely fine aside from being wet and annoyed.

"I don't get it! We hit it right on, how could it be fine?" Callie grumbled.

"Ha! Don't you know that Water-type moves aren't very effective against Grass-type Pokémon?" said Hugh. "You have a huge disadvantage for this battle, Callie! Now, Snivy, use Vine Whip and show Callie and Oshawott a thing or two about type advantages!"

"Sni!"

Snivy jumped into the air, finally listening to Hugh — it appeared as though Oshawott had annoyed it enough to pressure it into battling. Suddenly, two small pale yellow light flashed where the yellow collar and Snivy's green skin met, and a pair of green vines came out, shooting straight towards Oshawott.

"Oshawott! Dodge it!" Callie called out, her eyes widening.

But it was too late — Snivy was just too fast for Oshawott, and its Vine Whip attack hit him head on, sending him flying backwards. He skidded across the ground several feet and landed in front of Callie and Zorua.

"Oshawott, are you okay?" Callie gasped, kneeling beside the small water-type pokémon. Much to her surprise, Oshawott stood up, rather unsteadily, and stared across the field to Snivy, who now appeared ready to battle. "Oshawott, that Snivy is really strong — we should try to find a way to weaken it first, but how. . . ?"

"The move Tail Whip lowers the opponents defense," said the PokéDex in Callie's hand. "The user wags its tail cutely, making opposing Pokémon less wary and lowering their Defense stat."

Callie looked down at the PokéDex, obviously surprised, but thankful to have the handy gadget in her hand. She looked back to Oshawott, who was also looking at the PokéDex, and she shrugged.

"Well, it's worth a shot, right?" Callie said with a shrug.

Oshawott smiled and gave a determined nod, and Callie stood up, ready to go with their next move.

"Alright, Oshawott! Let's use Tail Whip, go!"

"Osh!"

Oshawott turned around quickly and began wagging its tail from side to side. Snivy and Hugh both looked very confused.

"Tail Whip? That's the move your going with?" Hugh laughed. "Snivy, let's give them a powerful Tackle attack!"

"Snivy!"

Snivy began charging at Oshawott.

"Oshawott, keep up your Tail Whip!" "Osha!"

Snivy was still charging at Oshawott, who began wagging his tail more fiercely from side to side. Snivy seemed to be trying to ignore it, but the wagging tail finally caught its eye, and it began to slow down, seemingly put in a trance by Oshawott's tail. Eventually, Snivy came to a complete stop behind Oshawott, watching his tail sway back and forth.

"Alright, Oshawott! Good job!" Callie cheered.

"What? No, Snivy, come on, Tackle attack!" Hugh called.

Snivy shook his head, snapping itself out of its trance, but it was too late.

"Oshawott, Tail Whip, one more time! Make this one count!"

"Wott!"

Oshawott jumped up and spun around quickly, bringing his tail down hard across Snivy's face, sending it flying backwards. Snivy let out a cry and flew backward, landing on the ground. Slowly, it got up, obviously struggling to stand.

"Oh, wow! That Tail Whip did a great job of lowering Snivy's Defense!" Bianca called.

"Er — if they can lower our defense, we can lower theirs! Snivy, give 'em a Leer attack!"

"Snivy!"

Snivy glared across the field at Oshawott, its eyes glowing yellow, and Oshawott stopped in his tracks, frozen by fear.

"That's a powerful Leer attack!" Bianca said.

"Oshawott, pull yourself out of it!" Callie called. Oshawott heard Callie's voice and his ears twitched and he quickly shook head, bringing himself back to reality. Callie smiled. "Good job, Oshawott! Now, we have them on the ropes! Use Water Gun again!"

"Osha!"

"Ha, you must have forgotten, but Water Gun won't be very effective against Snivy!" Hugh called. "Snivy, counter with your Vine Whip!"

"Snivy!"

Oshawott launched his Water Gun attack jut as Snivy laughed its Vine Whip attack. The two attacks met in the middle, and Callie knew that if Snivy hit Oshawott, this would be then end of the battle. But she wasn't so sure about Snivy — did they lower its defense enough for Oshawott's Water Gun attack to work? Or would it still be able to fight?

"Er — Oshawott! I know you can do it!" Callie called. "You can beat Snivy! I believe in you!"

"Zorua! Zor!" Zoro cheered.

Oshawott, feeling suddenly emboldened by his new trainer's encouragement, gave all his remaining energy to the attack, wanting to win this battle for her. It was then that his Water Gun attack over powered Snivy's Vine Whip, pushing past them and landing a direct hit on Snivy, sending it flying backwards and crashing into Hugh's feet. Oshawott's Water Gun subsided and he, Callie, and Zoro all held their breath as they watched, waiting to see if Snivy would stand up.

"Ergh — Snivy! Are you okay?" Hugh exclaimed, looking down at his pokémon.

"Sni. . . . Snivy," Snivy groaned, slowly standing up, its body trembling. Oshawott tensed, ready to attack again, but then, Snivy let out a cry and fell forward, unconscious.

"Snivy is unable to battle! Oshawott and Callie are the winners!" Bianca called out.

Callie stood there for a moment, frozen, barely hearing Zorua and Oshawott's cheers around her. She had . . . won? She won. . . . Her first pokémon battle ever and she actually won. She couldn't believe it.

"We won," she said quietly. Then, as the realization set in, she picked up Oshawott, still very excited. "Oshawott! We won! We did it!_ You_ did it! I can't believe it!"

"Zor! Zorua!" Zoro cheering, jumping on to Callie's shoulder to celebrate.

"I couldn't achieve victory for my partner," Hugh muttered, returning his fainted Snivy to its pokéball. "I won't let myself forget this frustration!"

Callie, Zoro, and Oshawott stopped cheering and looked across the field to Hugh, who was walking towards them. He looked thoroughly disappointed in his loss, but when he stepped in front of Callie, he looked her in the eyes.

"I lost. . . . This is different than battling with wild Pokémon," he said, frowning. Then, he suddenly smiled. "Well, whatever! I'm just happy to know you're a Trainer I can count on! Cool. I'm heading off first! Get stronger!"

And with that, Hugh took off, running down the stairs of Aspertia Outlook. Callie watched him leave, and Bianca walked over to her, holding her suitcase in her hand.

"The Pokémon on both sides did their best! But this one is still weak, so battle with it and make it stronger," Bianca said cheerily, patting Oshawott's head gently. "All right, let's go make your Pokémon better at the Pokémon Center! It's like the best place ever for Pokémon who battle and get hurt!"

"A Pokémon Center?" Callie echoed, thinking back to the abandoned Pokémon Center in Castelia City, boarded up and run down. How would it look now, during a time when it was actually functioning?

"Well, yeah! You_ do_ know about Pokémon Centers, right?" Bianca giggled, heading for the stairs.

"Er — of course I do," Callie said with a nervous laugh. She gave Zoro a side glance, obviously unsure of what was happening, but followed after Bianca all the same, holding Oshawott tightly in her arms.

As Callie and Bianca walked towards Aspertia City's Pokémon Center, Bianca spoke fondly of Professor Juniper, and told Callie stories from when she first became a trainer a few years before. However, the conversation soon strayed away from Bianca and focused in on Callie.

"So, how old are you, Callie?" Bianca said.

"Oh, I'm seventeen."

"Seventeen? Wow, that's awesome! Did I hear you say you're from Castelia City? What do your parents think about you finally starting your pokémon journey? I'm sure they're excited, huh?"

"Well, uh, they weren't expecting it, that's for sure," Callie said with a nervous smile. "I'm sure my mom will probably worry about me — she's never really been a fan of pokémon."

This wasn't a lie — back in her own time, her mom was very much against pokémon. She always cautioned Callie to stay as far away from them as possible, and to never go around looking for pokémon. Whenever Callie would ask questions about the time before she was born, when pokémon and humans were partners, her mother would ignore her questions, never giving her any real answers. Callie never knew if her mother ever had any pokémon before Team Plasma took over, but she liked to think that maybe she did, that she maybe hadn't always hated pokémon.

"Well, we're here!" Bianca said, suddenly pulling Callie out of her thoughts. Callie turned and looked at the Pokémon Center, and her jaw dropped slightly — it was better than she could have ever imagined.

The Pokémon Center was the same two story building that stood in Castelia City, but this one was a brilliant white color, as if freshly painted, and the windows that lined the building were gleaming and perfectly clean, not boarded up or broken. The roof was in impeccable condition and was a bright, glaring red color. A pokéball was painted on the front of the building, and the doors slid open automatically as people walked in and out of the Pokémon Center, all of them with a pokémon in tow.

"This is the Pokémon Center?" Callie breathed.

"Of course it is, silly!" Bianca laughed.

"Do they all look like this?" Callie said with a raised eyebrow, still in shock.

Bianca nodded. "Of course! The Pokémon Center is the same no matter where you are! Let's go inside!"

The two of them walked inside, and Callie found that the interior was just as magnificent as the exterior.

"Okay! I'll show you around the Pokémon Center," said Bianca. "So, the Pokémon Center heals pokémon for free! You should bring your pokémon here anytime they are weak."

Callie watched as a young trainer stood at the counter, conversing with Nurse Joy before handing her a few pokéballs. Nurse Joy smiled and nodded, taking the pokéballs and placing them on a tray before handing them off to the pokémon beside her. The pokémon was pink-and-cream with oval, blue eyes. Its head, its back, and arms were pink, while the lower half of its face, body, and ears were cream colored.

"What pokémon is that?" Callie whispered.

"Audino, the Hearing Pokémon. Audino can assess a Pokémon's overall physical condition and mood using its ears," said the PokéDex in the side of her book bag, only partially muffled due to being packed away.

"So, that's an Audino," Callie said with wide eyes as she watched the pink pokémon smile brightly and disappear into the back room with all of the pokéballs. "I've read about them in my textbook! They were often used as medical assistants, right?"

"Exactly!" said Bianca with a smile. "Now, how about we give Oshawott to Nurse Joy, and I'll show you around a bit more, okay?"

Callie nodded and the two of them neared the counter where Nurse Joy stood. The slender pinkett smiled broadly at them, and Bianca motioned for Callie to step forward. Hesitantly, Callie took a few steps towards Nurse Joy, still holding Oshawott in her arms.

"E-erm, hello," Callie said softly.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Center! We restore your tired Pokémon to full health! Would you like to rest your Pokémon?" said Nurse Joy cheerfully.

Callie nodded. "Erm, y-yes, exactly! I'd really like it if you could take a look at Oshawott for me!"

Nurse Joy smiled. "Of course! Let me see him!"

Callie held out Oshawott to Nurse Joy, who took him in her arms gently. Oshawott smiled broadly up at Nurse Joy and cooed happily.

"Osh! Oshawott!" he said excitedly.

"My, my, you seem to have plenty of energy, little one," Nurse Joy giggled.

"Well, you see, we just had a pokémon battle, and, well, Oshawott is my first pokémon, s-so I'm just trying to be extra careful," Callie said sheepishly.

Nurse Joy chuckled. "That's a-okay! I'll keep Oshawott over night and make sure he's well rested in the morning! Would you like me to take a look at your Zorua as well?"

"Hm? Oh, Zorua isn't mine," Callie said with a laugh. "He's just a good friend of mine."

"Oh, I see. Well, I can still take a look at him if you'd like," Nurse Joy said with a smile.

Callie glanced at Zoro — he had never once been checked over at a Pokémon Center by an actual nurse. If he had ever gotten hurt, Callie would just bring her first aid kit from home and tend to his wounds the best she could since there was no one who could actually care for Zoro. Perhaps it would be good for him if Nurse Joy took a look at him.

"You know, I think that'd be great," Callie said, smiling. "Zoro, why don't you go with Nurse Joy and let her watch over you tonight?"

"Zor!" Zoro said with a nod, jumping off her shoulder and onto Nurse Joy's.

"Great! I'll look over them tonight and make sure they're fighting fit in the morning!" said Nurse Joy with a short bow. "In the mean time, you're more than welcomed to stay in one of our rooms for the night!"

"O-oh, I'm not sure if I can afford that," Callie frowned.

Nurse Joy shook her head, laughing. "Oh, no! We don't charge for that! It's completely free of charge."

"Y-you can't be serious?" Callie said, her eyes wide.

Nurse Joy smiled, waving her hand casually. "Why, of course! We take care of pokémon and trainers! That's what we're here for! We heal all pokémon, and offer free food and lodging!"

"That's amazing," Callie said softly.

"Yeah! So you should never have any trouble finding a place to stay during your journey," Bianca said cheerily.

"Let me get Zorua and Oshawott all set for the night, and then I'll show you to your room," Nurse Joy said with a smile before disappearing through the door behind the counter.

"Well, how about I finish that tour, huh?" Bianca said, taking Callie by the hand and dragging her behind her. "So next, I'll explain the PC!"

"PC?" Callie echoed.

"Yup!" Bianca said proudly as she stopped in front of a strange computer. "This square thing is a PC! Any Trainer is free to use it! You can deposit Pokémon in it. Also, you can withdraw Pokémon from it!"

"What happens to the Pokémon you deposit in it?" Callie said warily.

"They go to Professor Juniper's lab!" said Bianca. "She has lots of assistants that work diligently to tend to all the trainer's pokémon left in her care!"

"Well, I don't know if I want to do that," Callie muttered.

"Well you can only keep six pokémon on you at all times," said Bianca. "If you have a full team and you catch another pokémon, the pokéball it's in will be automatically transported to Professor Juniper's lab! If you want to exchange that pokémon for one you have on your team, you'll have to come to the Pokémon Center and use the PC to contact Professor Juniper! We really encourage you try to catch as many pokémon as you can!"

Callie nodded softly and Bianca opened her mouth to say something when Nurse Joy came back into the lobby.

"Ah, there you are!" Nurse Joy said, walking over to the two of them. "Your Zorua and Oshawott are settling in just fine! Now, how about I show you to your room?"

Callie looked to Bianca with wide eyes, but Bianca smiled brightly.

"That'd be great — I'm sure you need your rest, Callie! After all, you've had a long day, and this is just the start! Tomorrow you'll start your very own pokémon journey, so you better rest up!"

"But, I still have so many questions!" Callie said. "H-how do I catch pokémon? Where do I buy supplies? Where am I going?"

Bianca laughed. "Oh, don't worry, Callie! I'm staying in the hotel right next door! Tomorrow after breakfast, I'll get you all set for your journey, okay?"

Callie swallowed hard and nodded. Bianca seemed pleased.

"Great! Then I'll see you tomorrow, Callie! Try to get some rest! Tomorrow is going to be the biggest day of your life!" Bianca called as she walked out the front doors of the Pokémon Center.

Now alone with Nurse Joy, Callie turned back to the pinkett.

"Now, how about that room? You look like you could use a good night's rest," Nurse Joy said.

"That sounds great," Callie said with a confident nod. However, it was then that her stomach growled very loudly, and Nurse Joy giggled.

"Well, maybe dinner, and then bed, huh?" Nurse Joy laughed.

Callie nodded and Nurse Joy showed her to the cafeteria. After she ate, Callie was showed to her room, and Nurse Joy gave her some complimentary pajamas, and she took Callie's clothes, promising to return them in the morning once she had cleaned them. Settling down in the surprisingly comfortable bed, Callie found herself restless for obvious reasons.

_'Tomorrow is going to be the biggest day of your life!'_

Bianca's words rang in her head, echoing over and over.

That was a possibility, but Callie had a funny feeling today was going to be hard to beat. It had started off just like any other day, sure, but it turned into something to extraordinary. First she and Zoro had been chased by Team Plasma Officers, then she met Celebi and was told she had to go back in time to prevent Team Plasma from taking over. Then she met Wes, and Bianca, and got her very first pokémon, Oshawott! Then she and Hugh had a pokémon battle and she _won_, and now she was just mere hours away from beginning her very own pokémon journey. Her very own pokémon journey. . . . The start of her mission to change the course of history as she knew it.

"I have no idea how I'm going to stop Team Plasma," Callie muttered to herself as she laid in bed, a sudden exhaustion washing over her. "But with Oshawott and Zorua by my side. . . . I think. . . . I think we may just figure it out."

She yawned loudly and rolled over in her bed, closing her eyes. It was time to rest. After all, tomorrow was going to be the start of something amazing. Something huge. And she had to be ready for it.


	2. Starting Off on the Wrong Foot!

Chapter Two

Callie woke up the next morning, feeling far from rested. Try as she might, she could barely sleep that night, spending most of the evening tossing and turning, or staring up at her ceiling, or perhaps out the window when she wanted a different view. It didn't matter what she did, she simply couldn't sleep, and all she could do was think about the journey she was about to depart on. As the sun filtered in through the blinds covering the windows, Callie sat up, stealing a glance at the clock that hung on the wall — it was seven o'clock in the morning, a good a time as any to get ready. She got out of her bed, and to her surprise, sitting on the floor next to the door, were all her clothes, cleaned and neatly folded.

"I wonder when Nurse Joy came in," Callie muttered thoughtfully to herself — she hadn't recalled Nurse Joy opening the door at any point during the night, so it must have happened during the few short moments she had been asleep.

Shrugging it off, Callie got dressed, tucking the pajamas Nurse Joy gave her in her bag. As she put on her shoes and slipped her book bag over her shoulders, Callie gave herself a once over in the floor length mirror that was positioned on the back of the door. This was the day. The day Callie dreamed of as a kid, but knew she would never experience. It had always been nothing more than a pipe dream. But here she was in Aspertia City, twenty-one years in the past, about to set out on her very own pokémon journey.

"You can do this, Callie," she muttered to her reflection. "You've just got to set out on this journey and get strong — really strong — and take down Team Plasma. . . . And save the world. . . . And the legendary pokémon Celebi is counting on you. . . . And so is the future. . . . Yeah. . . . No pressure."

Callie groaned loudly, pressing her face into her hands — these were the thoughts that had kept her up all night. The thoughts of the daunting task that awaited her, the mission she was sent here to fulfill. How in the world was she, a girl who had never owned a pokémon in her life, supposed to save the world from Team Plasma?

A sudden knock on her door pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Hello?" called a familiar voice from the other side of the door.

"Er — come in," Callie groaned.

The door opened and Bianca stepped through the doorway, her face bright and bubbly as she beamed at Callie.

"Well, good morning, sunshi— oh my, Callie, you look dreadful!" Bianca gasped.

"Jeez, thanks," Callie said sarcastically. However, she did have to agree with Bianca — her hair was disheveled, and she had dark purple circles under her eyes, so large that not even her glasses could help conceal them.

"You didn't sleep well, did you?" Bianca said softly. Callie shook her head and Bianca gave a soft smile. "Too excited?"

"Something like that," Callie said, stifling a yawn.

"Well, I know how to fix that!" Bianca said. "We'll go get Zorua and Oshawott, and then we'll go shopping! We'll get you supplies, and pokémon food, and it looks like you may need a new bag — something cute that we can put a sleeping bag in."

"That'd be great, Bianca, but I don't have enough money for all that," said Callie quietly, looking down at the floor.

"Didn't your parents send you off with any money?" Bianca said, obviously confused.

Callie frowned and said nothing. Bianca interpreted this as a bad sign, and she smiled sympathetically. "Not a problem, Callie! I'll get you everything you need, and I'll even give you some money to get you started!"

Callie's eyes widened. "Bianca! You can't do that!"

"Of course I can," Bianca said, smiling brightly.

However, there was something different about this smile — it wasn't the same smile Bianca was always wearing. Even though she had only met her the day before, Callie had assumed that Bianca was what most people would consider a bit ditsy. She seemed to always be smiling and happy, without a care in the world. But this smile was different — it wasn't a ditsy smile, or an ignorant grin — no, this smile was the same kind of smile her mother would always give her whenever she did something for Callie when she needed it, whether she was young and skinned her knee after taking a bad fall, or when she was so sick she couldn't leave her bed.

"Bianca, you don't need to do this," Callie said gently.

"It's my pleasure, Callie," Bianca said, smiling more sincerely. "You're doing us a great favor by taking that PokéDex and going out on this pokémon journey! It's a shame your parents don't seem to be as supportive as you said yesterday."

Callie opened her mouth to say something, but Bianca continued speaking.

"You know, Callie, my dad didn't approve whenever I went on my journey," said Bianca softly. "He followed me on my journey, always tried to persuade me to come back home, telling me I wasn't ready for it. . . . Finally one of my friends talked some sense into him, and he didn't bother me as much, and even started to support my choice to take my journey! But I remember how it felt when I first started, with him telling me to come home, to give up on my journey. . . . It made me feel like he didn't believe in me, that he was right and I couldn't do it. . . . I felt like no one believed in me. . . . My friends. . . . They believed in me, and kept pushing me to do my best and get stronger every day!" Bianca laughed lightly, reflecting on those memories. Then she looked back at Callie, a fire burning in her eyes. "If it weren't for them, I would have given up, and I would have never completed my journey, and I probably wouldn't be standing here today as Professor Juniper's assistant! And, I would have never gotten the chance to meet you," said Bianca, smiling softly.

"We're a lot alike, you and I," Bianca continued quietly. "Your parents aren't supportive of your journey, and my parents weren't either. . . . But I had my friends there to support me and cheer me on, and, well, you have me! So I'll do whatever it takes to keep you going on your journey."

Callie stood there, wide eyed, unsure of what to say — she had never met someone so sincere and so kind as Bianca before, and it left her speechless. Finally, after several moments of silence, Callie smiled softly and nodded, only able to offer Bianca a simple, "Thank you."

Bianca grinned again, her usual wide, careless grin, and began heading out the door, motioning for Callie to follow.

"Come on, Callie! Let's go get your pokémon!"

And so they were off. Callie and Bianca went to the lobby of the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy was sitting behind the desk, Audino by her side.

"Hello, Nurse Joy," Callie said cheerfully — her talk with Bianca had her spirits high.

"Good morning, Callie!" said Nurse Joy, looking up from her computer screen. "Are you ready for Zorua and Oshawott?"

"I sure am!"

Nurse Joy smiled and stood, walking through the doors behind the desk, Audino following behind her. Bianca and Callie waited patiently for a few moments, and Nurse Joy soon returned, carrying Oshawott and Zorua, both looking very well rested.

"Thanks for waiting while we looked at them overnight," Nurse Joy said with a smile.

"Oshawott! Zoro!" Callie said happily.

"Osha!" Oshawott called, jumping into Callie's arms.

She caught him with ease and looked to Zoro, who smiled softly and jumped onto her shoulder, nuzzling into Callie's neck.

Nurse Joy watched the three of them, smiling softly as she said, "We've restored both your Pokémon to full health! Remember, if you ever need to heal your pokémon, never hesitate to come to a Pokémon Center."

Callie nodded. "Right! Thanks again!"

Bianca looked on at Callie and her pokémon, grinning to herself.

"Alright, you three, let's go get some breakfast, do some shopping, and let's get you on the road!"

So, after breakfast, Bianca held up her promise to get Callie prepared for her journey. First Bianca showed Callie Aspertia City's local PokéMart, where she bought Callie pokéballs, potions, antidotes, pokéfood — things Callie would have never thought to buy! Then she took her to an outdoor store and bought Callie a messenger bag for her travel, a small sleeping bag, a canister, and a few other small items. As they finished their buying, walking out of the store with a few different bags, Bianca paused.

"Oh, I should use the bathroom," she muttered quietly. "Er — why don't you go ahead and start moving everything over to your new bag? I'll be right back, okay?"

And with that, Bianca disappeared back into the store. Callie looked at Zoro and Oshawott, who seemed to enjoy being outside of his pokéball, and shrugged, and the three of them sat on the bench positioned outside the store and began transferring everything over to her new bag. Callie tucked her pokéballs into a small pocket on the side, and her potions and antidotes went into one of the large pockets. She moved her history textbook and pokémon encyclopedia into her bag, taking a moment to chuckle softly at the encyclopedia — with her PokéDex at her disposal, the encyclopedia seemed nearly useless at this point, but all the same and placed it in her bag. She rolled up her sleeping bag tightly and put it in there, and soon enough, Callie's new bag was all set, and she felt even more prepared for her journey.

"Oh, Callie!" Bianca sang from behind her.

Callie smiled and stood up, holding her bag in her hands, relieved to find that it was surprisingly light. "Bianca," she started as she turned, "look at my bag, it's all — what is that?"

Callie was staring at Bianca, who was coming out of the store pushing a violet bicycle with a dark wicker basket on the front of it. Bianca began giggling wildly as she saw Callie's expression.

"Well," Bianca said in a sing-song voice. "Bicycles always made traveling way easier, and I want you to start off your journey right!"

"But, Bianca, you've already done more than enough," said Callie, feeling a twinge of guilt — she couldn't let Bianca do all this. "Really, the bike would just be too much."

"Nonsense!" Bianca said. "Now, you're taking this bike! Oh, and I want to see your Xtransceiver!"

"Xtransceiver?" Callie echoed. She thought back to the day before when Wes also mistook her Holo Caster for an Xtransceiver. "O-oh, well, this one is, erm. . . . Broken."

"Broken?" said Bianca. "What happened to it? It looks to be in perfect condition!"

She began to closely inspect the Holo Caster on Callie's wrist, so Callie quickly tucked her arm behind her back, chuckling nervously.

"I-it's something wrong with the wiring," Callie said quickly. "Yeah, some faulty part or something like that. I-I've got to send it in."

"So you don't have an Xtransceiver?" said Bianca, raising an eyebrow.

Callie's eyes widened as she watched Bianca smile knowingly.

"Bianca, no, no, no, no! You cannot seriously be thinking what I think you're thinking," Callie said. "You just bought me a bike, there is no way you're going to by me an Xtransceiver!"

"But, Callie, how else am I going to keep in touch with you?" Bianca said, trying to be as dramatic as she possibly could. "If I don't get you one, I'll just have to sit around all day and hope you're doing okay, while I worry myself sick about you, Oshawott, and Zorua!"

Callie sighed heavily. "I'm not going to be to stop you, will I?"

Bianca grinned devilishly. "Nope!"

Defeated, Callie hung her head and gave a reluctant nod, followed by an exasperated sigh. "Alright, fine — let's go."

"Perfect!" Bianca said, clapping her hands together. "Let's see if we can find one that matches your bike!"

So, an hour later, Callie was sporting a brand new dark purple Xtransceiver. She and Bianca were sitting outside a small café, Callie's bike parked out front, and Zoro and Oshawott sitting by Callie's feet under the shade of the table. Callie sipped her cappuccino quietly, listening to Bianca tell wild stories of her journey she took several years before as she drank some coffee-milkshake concoction that Callie had a suspicion was nothing more than just sugar.

Callie couldn't help but be a bit distracted, though, thinking about what was in store for her and her pokémon, and Bianca seemed to realize that she didn't have her full attention.

"Someone looks like she's ready to hit the road," Bianca said with a laugh.

Callie blinked and shook her head, focusing back on Bianca. "Oh, I-I'm sorry, I'm just a bit anxious, that's all."

Bianca smiled. "Well, I won't keep you too much longer then. I just wanted to make sure you had breakfast and relaxed a little before you set off. But, it looks like you're ready, so how about we head over to Route 19, and I can show you how to capture a pokémon before you go?"

"That'd be great," Callie said eagerly, standing up and looking down at Oshawott and Zoro. "Come on, you two, let's get going!"

Soon Bianca, Callie, Oshawott and Zoro were standing at the gates of Aspertia City, which lead straight to Route 19. Oshawott and Zoro were sitting happily in the basket of the bicycle, and Callie simply pushed it along as she walked with Bianca. They were just about to step foot officially outside of the city when they heard someone calling behind them.

"Wait! Hold on!" called a small voice.

They paused and turned, and Bianca and Callie saw a young girl running towards them, obviously in a hurry.

"Slow down there," Bianca said with a laugh as the little girl came to a screeching halt in front of them. "What's the hurry?"

"M-my brother . . . Hugh . . . left yesterday . . . without his . . . town map," she said, breathing heavily.

"Hugh?" Callie said. She thought back to the boy she battled with yesterday after he received his Snivy and she got her Oshawott. "Oh, I know Hugh."

"You must be one of his friends then," said his little sister hopefully.

"I don't know if we're friends, but I know him," Callie said sheepishly.

The little girl's face fell slightly. "Oh, I've been waiting nearby so I could catch one of the new trainers leaving on their journey. Are you one of them?"

Callie nodded. "I sure am. I'm just about to leave!"

"Great! Can you take these?" she said, holding out two small compact devices. "Please bring one to my brother!"

Callie took them without question and, out of curiosity, opened one of them. As she opened it, it revealed two blank screens, which immediately lit up — the top screen displayed all of Unova, and the bottom screen showed a close up of Aspertia City, with a flashing red dot right where Callie was standing.

"Wow, is this really a town map?" said Callie with wide eyes. "This thing is pretty cool."

"Wait, why are there two town maps?" said Bianca, looking at the two devices Callie was holding.

"Well, one of Hugh's friends was supposed to go on a journey too, so my mom bought for him too, but he backed out last week," Hugh's sister said. "But, why don't you keep it? As payment for bringing one to Hugh!"

Callie smiled brightly and nodded. "I will, I promise! Thanks for this map! It'll help a lot!"

"Of course it will!" Hugh's little sister said. "But, I have to go now! I promised my mom I wouldn't stay out long! Remember, bring this to Hugh! You promised!"

And with that, Hugh's little sister took off, and Bianca smiled.

"Awe, you guys! Just watching that made me happy! C'mon, we're headed for Route 19! I'll teach you how to catch a Pokémon!"

"Right," Callie said, following after Bianca, pushing her bike as she went, Oshawott and Zoro cheering happily in the basket.

"So, the first step to catching a pokémon is finding a pokémon," said Bianca as they made their way through a small patch of woods by the beginning of Route 19.

"Naturally," Callie said quietly.

"Now, it's not always easy — sometimes wild pokémon are really skittish! Other times they'll jump out you, ready to battle, which can be scary — but with Oshawott, you never have to worry about not being prepared," said Bianca happily.

"Okay, now, where's a pokémon?" Bianca stood on her tiptoes, glancing from side to side in search of a pokémon. She had just adjusted her glasses some, squinting against the sunlight that was coming through the branches of the trees all around them, when she gasped, "Oh — _there_!"

Callie looked and saw a small purple, feline-like pokémon laying out in the sun. Its head had tufted fur on its ears and cheeks, and it had emerald green eyes. Immediately, Callie pulled her out her PokéDex and aimed it towards the pokémon.

"Who's that pokémon?" she muttered in awe.

"Purrloin, the Devious Pokémon. Purloin fools people into letting their guard down so it can steal their possessions. When angered, it uses its claws to fight back," Dexter said.

"It's so cute," Callie said with a smile.

"Now, watch how I catch it!" Bianca said with a smile.

She reached into purse she was carrying and pulled out a pokéball, but it was small, about the size of a golfball. Callie watched as she pressed the button on the capsule, and instantly the pokéball grew to the size of a baseball. Bianca took a couple steps forward towards the relaxed Purrloin, which looked up from its sunbathing. Immediately the Purrloin jumped to its feet, glaring sharply at Bianca.

"Loooinnnn. . . ," the Purrloin growled lowly.

"Pokéball — go!" Bianca said suddenly, throwing the pokéball at the Purrloin.

The pokémon looked stunned, and before it could react, the pokéball hit the Purrloin on the top of the head. The capsule opened and a red light appeared, consuming Purrloin, and it suddenly vanished into the pokéball. The ball hit the ground, and Callie and Bianca watched as the pokéball wiggled back and forth, the button on the capsule blinking red. Then, suddenly, the blinking stopped and the ball became quite still, making Bianca smiled.

"Ah ha! And that's how you use a pokéball to catch a pokémon!" Bianca said excitedly, running forward and picking up her newly caught Purrloin.

"So, you don't battle it?" Callie said curiously.

Bianca turned around, blushing slightly, a sheepish smile on her face. "Well, erm, you really _should_ weaken it first — it makes it a lot easier to catch the pokémon. _But_ I was just so excited to show you that I sorta skipped that step."

Callie smiled softly and nodded. "Alright, well, good to know — I guess I know how to catch pokémon now."

"Mhmm!" Bianca said proudly. "And when you catch a pokémon, your PokéDex actually registers that you caught the pokémon, and it can give you more data!"

They made their way out of the woods and back to the gates of Aspertia City. Zoro and Oshawott could sense that they were about to set off, and the two of them were sitting anxiously in the basket, ready for them to depart. Callie and Bianca stood at the gate, smiling at each other.

"Okay, this is it," Bianca said. "This is going to be the start of your journey! You have such an adventure ahead of you — the opportunities are endless! Are you ready?"

Callie took a deep breath, shaking her head lightly. "No, not really, but it's now or never, right?"

Bianca laughed. "You'll be just fine! If you need anything at all, I'm just a call away. Now, I've got a few more things to wrap up here in Aspertia City — take care, Callie! And good luck!"

And just as quickly as Bianca had appeared in Callie's life, she was gone in a flash, leaving Callie standing there with her bike, along with Oshawott and Zoro. The young girl looked back to the two pokémon in the basket of her bike, who were looking back at her with wide eyes, eager to get started.

"Well, you two, this is it — the start of our journey," Callie said to herself. "Oshawott, you may not realize it, but we have a bigger task ahead of us than most people could ever imagine."

"Osha?" Oshawott looked curiously from Callie to Zoro.

"Zor," Zoro said, shaking his head.

Callie took a deep breath and looked around at the trees around her before mounting her bike.

"Alright, Oshawott and Zoro, here we go," Callie muttered quietly. "Our journey begins now."

And they were off. Route 19 was a rather short road that connected Aspertia City and Floccesy Town. Callie was sure it would have taken several hours to walk, but with her bike, she knew they would be there within two hours at most. So the three of them enjoyed the ride, the road lined with trees on one side and cliffs on the other. They didn't see many pokémon as they went, which disappointed Callie — she had been hoping to find a Purrloin at least.

They were nearly to Floccesy City without much incident, when, finally, Callie spotted something — a pokémon, but it was one she didn't recognize. Zoro and Oshawott had dozed off in the basket, so Callie slowed her bike to a stop, careful not to alert the pokémon, and pulled out her PokéDex. The pokémon was rodent-like and resembled a chipmunk, and it was happily eating some Oran berries, completely unaware that Callie was watching it.

Callie aimed the PokéDex at the pokémon.

"Patrat, the Scout Pokémon. Patrat are extremely cautious and will take shifts to maintain a constant watch of their nest. They feel insecure without a lookout."

Callie looked up from her PokéDex, frowning — this one didn't seem to cautious, and there also didn't seem to be a nest near by.

"Well then," Callie muttered to herself. "Maybe this one is different — perfect! It'll be my first catch!"

Carefully, she nudged Oshawott awake. The otter-like pokémon rubbed his eyes, blinking slowly, and looked at Callie.

"Oshawott," Callie whispered. "You ready for a battle?"

That woke Oshawott up. Immediately, Oshawott hopped to his feet and out of the basket, looking ready for battle. Zoro was woken up by his movement, and he looked expectantly at Callie.

"Perfect!" Callie exclaimed, a bit louder. "We're gonna try to capture that Patrat over there, okay? So, get ready. Oshawott, quick — use Water Gun!"

"Osha!" Oshawott ran towards the Patrat.

"Zor?" Zoro said, looking cautiously at the Patrat.

The chipmunk pokémon immediately froze, no longer looking worry free, and turned towards Oshawott, allowing Callie to get a glimpse of its red and yellow eyes. Before it could do anything, Oshawott unleashed a powerful Water Gun attack, hitting it right in the face and sending it flying backwards, its collection of Oran berries scattering. Patrat skidded across the ground and Oshawott swelled with pride.

"Great job, Oshawott!" Callie cheered. "Now, let's give it a Tackle attack!"

"Osha!"

"Zor!" Zoro seemed to protest Callie's actions, but it was too late.

Oshawott charged forward as Patrat struggled to its feet. However, before it could make a full recovery, Oshawott went full speed ahead, slamming into Patrat, and sending it crashing into the wall of a towering cliff.

Callie couldn't believe it — they were doing it! They were winning!

"Amazing, Oshawott!" Callie called. Despite Zoro's constant protests, she fumbled around with her bag and pulled out a pokéball, clicking the button and causing it to grow.

"Alright, this is it," she said to herself, getting ready to throw the pokéball. "My first catch —"

_"Patraaaaaaaaat!"_

An ear-splitting screech erupted from the Patrat, stopping Callie and Oshawott in their tracks. Zoro covered his ear but didn't seemed surprised.

"What's happening?" Callie shouted over the sound of Patrat's call.

Then, suddenly, the call ended, and Dexter spoke.

"Screech. An earsplitting cry that harshly reduces the target's Defense stat. It can also be used to call for help."

"Call for help?" Callie echoed, staring at the PokéDex. "Was Patrat calling for help?"

"Zor!" Zoro suddenly growled, startling Callie.

Callie looked up from the PokéDex and to Zoro, who was glaring at her. Zoro then made a panicked motion towards Oshawott, and Callie followed his direction. She saw Oshawott standing there, staring at the Patrat he had been battling, which was lying against the wall, panting heavily. Then, suddenly, she saw glowing eyes appear in the trees and bushes around them, all of them staring directly at them. Callie's stomach dropped, and she looked from the glowing eyes to Oshawott, who still seemed oblivious to their new guests.

"Oshawott!" Callie called. "Oshawott, come back — this battle is over!"

"Osh?" Oshawott looked back at Callie, obviously upset. However, then he caught a glimpse at the eyes around him and froze in fear.

"Oshawott, hurry back!" Callie said, panic rising.

"Zor. . . ," Zoro growled lowly.

Oshawott turned on his heel and took a step towards Callie, when suddenly, something that looked like a berry seed shot out of the bushes and hit him right in the side of the head.

"Osha!" Oshawott cried out in surprise, falling over.

"Ah, no, Oshawott!" Callie called out, running forward. "Are you okay — ah!"

Before she could even take five strides, Callie herself was pelted with several seeds. She kept her footing as the seeds pierced the skin on her cheeks and arms, blood immediately beginning to trickle out of the wounds.

"Ouch," she muttered, biting her lip. She looked around to the glowing eyes that surrounded them. "Alright! Come on out if you're going to attack us!"

The moment she said it, Callie regretted every single word. One by one, dozens of pokémon stepped forward. Half of them were Patrat, but the other half was a pokémon she didn't recognize. It looked similar to Patrat, but it was taller, and was a reddish brown color. She took out her PokéDex.

"Watchog, the Lookout Pokémon, and the evolved form of Patrat. The markings on Watchog's body can glow to intimidate its foes. When they see an emery, their tails stand high, and they spit the seeds of berries stored in their cheek pouches."

"So, Watchog, eh?" Callie said, looking around at all of them — there was at least three dozen of them. She looked to Oshawott, who was pushing himself to his feet. "You okay, Oshawott?"

"Osha," said Oshawott with a steady nod.

She smiled softly and looked back to the Patrat and Watchog, who were all glaring at the two of them. Callie was very aware that she and Oshawott wouldn't stand a chance against all of them. She had no other choice but to retreat.

"Look, Patrat, Watchog, I-I'm really sorry we attacked your friend," Callie said, taking a slow step towards Oshawott. "I-it won't happen again. In fact, if you let us, Oshawott, Zoro, and I will get on that bike and we'll never come back."

"Watchog. . . ," the largest Watchog growled, his glowing eyes piercing Callie's gaze.

Callie swallowed hard and took another slow step towards her starter pokémon.

"Look, see this? I'm just gonna grab Oshawott, and we'll be on our —"

_"Watchog!"_

Suddenly, the large Watchog that had been watching Callie closely lunged towards her, opening his mouth. Suddenly, a white aura shared like a pair of fangs appeared, and Callie realized it was using Hyper Fang.

"No, stop!" Callie cried, bracing herself for Watchog's Hyper Fang.

However, instead of feeling the blow of a Hyper Fang, she felt herself being tackled. Her eyes shot opened and she watched as Oshawott tackled Callie out of Watchog's way and took the full force of its Hyper Fang.

_"Osha!"_

"Oshawott, no!" Callie cried, watching the white fangs clamp themselves around Oshawott.

Oshawott fell to the ground hard and skidded several feet backwards. Callie sprung to her feet and ran towards him, quickly taking Oshawott in her arms.

"Oshawott!" Callie said, her eyes wide with worry. "Oshawott, are you okay?"

"Osh . . . awott," Oshawott said weakly, his eyes looking dull.

This wasn't good. She had to get help. She had to save Oshawott. Callie stood to her feet, ready to run back to her bike, but the Patrat and Watchog closed in around her and surrounded her and Oshawott, keeping her from her bike. Callie froze, holding her Oshawott close to her chest.

"P-please," Callie stammered, her eyes watering. "I-I need to get my Oshawott to the Pokémon Center! I-I said I was sorry! P-please, let me go!"

"Watch. . . ," the large Watchog stepped forward again, obviously not accepting Callie's apology.

Trembling, Callie held Oshawott close, tears streaming down her face.

"P-please," she said weakly, swallowing her tears. "I'm begging you. . . ."

"Watchog!" Watchog wasn't listening, and he raised his paws, a small ball of light forming — Callie wasn't familiar with pokémon, but she did know a few moves, and that one was unmistakable.

Hyper Beam.

Completely surrounded, Callie knew she had no way out. Either way she looked, Patrat and Watchog had her closed in, keeping her planted. She and Oshawott were sitting ducks.

Callie looked down at the small otter pokémon in her arms and saw he was looking back up at her, the light quickly fading from his eyes. This couldn't be the end of their journey. She was the chosen one. She had to stop Team Plasma. But it looked like this was the end of the line for her.

She looked up at Watchog and saw his Hyper Beam was fullly charged.

_"Watch . . . og!"_ the Watchog grunted, thrusting the Hyper Beam attack towards her and Oshawott.

"Oshawott, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," Callie whispered, hiding Oshawott's head in the crook on her neck.

Callie clenched her eyes, ready to accept her fate — there was no escaping it this time — when she heard a sudden cry.

_"Zoro!" _

Callie's eyes opened wide and she watched a Zoro leapt over the circle of Patrat and Watchog, landing in front of her and Oshawott. Zoro braced himself, growling lowly, and suddenly, a brilliant green energy shield appeared before him, big enough to shield Zoro, Oshawott, and Callie. Watchog's Hyper Beam attack met Zoro's shield, but it couldn't get past the green barrier. Zoro was pushed back a few inches, but he dug his feet into the dirt, determined to stand his ground.

The Hyper Beam subsided, leaving a shocked Watchog glaring at Zoro.

"Zoro," Callie whispered. "Was that Protect?"

"Zor," Zorua huffed. He looked back at Callie and Oshawott, taking in their state — Callie was still bleeding from her face and arms, while Oshawott laid there, unmoving. He narrowed his eyes and slowly turned back towards Watchog, a look of disdain on his face that Callie had never seen before.

Then, without any warning, Zorua's eyes began glowing light blue, and he raised his front two paws in the air. His body became surrounded in a crimson aura as he reared backwards. Zoro then brought his paws down to the ground and a pink and crimson forcefield of energy appeared around Zorua's body and expanded outwards throughout the battlefield, throwing the three dozen Patrat and Watchog backwards in all directions. Callie watched in awe as the crimson aura around Zorua disappeared, and his eyes returned to his normal green-blue color.

"Zoro. . . ?" Callie said softly, her eyes wide. "Are you okay?"

Zorua stood there, trembling, obviously drained from the attack. He looked over his shoulder and gave Callie and shaky smile before letting out a cry and falling to the ground.

"Zoro!" Callie exclaimed, quickly gathering him in her arms beside Oshawott.

Zoro looked up at Callie, smiling softly, and Callie shook her head as more tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Zoro," Callie whispered, "why would you do something like that?"

Zorua stared at her for a moment before straining his neck forward and pressing his nose against hers. It lasted for only mere seconds before he shut his eyes and his body went limp as he fell unconscious.

"This is no good," Callie muttered. "I have to get them to the Pokémon Center!"

Standing to her feet, Callie began to run back towards her bike. However, much to her surprise, several Watchog were able to withstand Zoro's attack, and were now standing between her and her bike. Among them was the head Watchog, looking more livid than before. Callie clenched her jaw, holding her pokémon close.

"Now, you listen here, just get out of my way!" Callie shouted. "I'm done with you! My friends need help — they protected me, and now it's my turn to protect them!"

"Watchog!" growled the leader.

Callie opened her mouth to say something, when a sudden shadow passed over head. She and the Watchog froze and watched as a man appeared before her with a strange pokémon beside him. The man had long orange hair that was held back in a ponytail, with seven tufts of red hair in the front. He had a large, strong build and wore a beige poncho type garment, and had six pokéballs hanging around his neck. The pokémon accompanying him was a buffalo like pokémon with a large, dark afro on its head. Two large, curving horns, each with two golden growths resembling rings, protruded from the afro, and it had a shaggy brown hide that ended at it knees.

"What pokémon is that?" Callie muttered to herself.

"Bouffalant," said the man, keeping his back to her, "use Wild Charge."

"Bouuu!" called his pokémon — Bouffalant.

The buffalo-like pokémon reared back on its hind legs, and Callie could here the popping and snapping of electricity, and suddenly, Bouffalant brought his hooves crashing down to the ground, shaking the dirt under her feet, and sending an electric wave towards the Watchog. All eight Watchog were consumed with electricity and let out a cry before falling over, fainted.

Callie stared at the Watchog and the to the Bouffalant, and finally, to its trainer — something about him seemed familiar. Why was this man familiar to her? There is no way she could have known him.

"Th-thank you," Callie said in slight disbelief. "I-I got myself into a bit of a mess."

"Oh, I know," said the man, looking down at Callie. "Bouffalant and I saw everything."

Callie's eyes widened. "What do you —"

The man said nothing and simply pointed at the cliff that Oshawott and thrown the Patrat against. Her eyes trailed upwards and saw that it plateaued about thirty feet up. He and his Bouffalant must have been standing at the ledge, watching their battle.

She sighed heavily. "So then I guess you know how terrible of a trainer I am."

That man shook his head. "Now is no time to worry about that — right now we need to get your pokémon taken care of," he said while picking up her bike with ease.

Callie watched him picking up her bike. "Er — I-I need that to get to the Pokémon Center. . . ."

"I'll take you to my house," said the man. "Get on Bouffalant, he'll get you there quickly. In the meantime, put your pokémon in their pokéballs, it's better for them."

"Okay, but Zorua isn't —"

"Come on, we haven't got much time," said the man quickly.

Callie sighed and nodded, taking Oshawott's pokéball off her belt and returning the water-type pokémon to its pokéball. She held Zorua in one arm and looked to the man.

"I'm ready," Callie said.

"Your Zorua isn't —"

"He's not mine," Callie said quickly. "He's technically a wild pokémon — but he's my friend."

The man fell silent and nodded. "Okay. Well, get on Bouffalant. I'll ride over on my Braviary."

Callie nodded and climbed onto Bouffalant's back, holding on to Zorua tightly. She watched as the man, still holding her bike, pulled a pokéball from around his neck and released a large flying-type pokémon with navy blue and maroon feathers. The man mounted the bird, and it dawned on Callie that she didn't even know his name.

"Wait!" Callie called to him before he could take flight. The man looked at her expectantly.

"What's you name?"

The man cracked a small smile. "Me? Well, little lady, my name is Alder."

And with that, his Braviary took off into the sky, and Bouffalant also set off down the road. As they went, Zorua still laying unconscious in her arms, Callie thought about the man — Alder — who had just come to her rescue. He looked familiar, and that name. . . . Why did she recognize that name?

Soon they came into Floccesy Town, which was made known to Callie by the sign that said, 'Welcome to Floccesy Town'. They ran past a Pokémon Center, a PokéMart, and an old clock tower. People all stopped and watched Callie ride by on Bouffalant, all of them looking surprised to see her. Perhaps they were expecting Alder to be riding Bouffalant, not Callie.

Before Callie realized it, Bouffalant came to a stop before a log cabin with a training field out front. Callie carefully slid off Bouffalant's back and patted its nose gently as she slowly stepped towards the cabin — was this Alder's house? Callie saw her bike resting against the front of the house, and she figured this must be the place. She neared the door, glancing over her shoulder every once in a while to make sure Bouffalant was still standing there, which it was. Finally, once she was standing before the front door, Callie rose a hesitant fist to knock, but before she could, the door swung open, and on the other side of the door was Alder.

"There you are," he said with a small smile, stepping aside and ushering her inside. "I trust Bouffalant didn't cause any trouble?"

"No, he was fine — should he have caused trouble?" Callie said doubtfully.

Alder laughed, shaking his head. "No, I was just making sure. He can be a bit temperamental sometimes."

Callie stepped inside, cradling Zoro in her arms, and glanced around the house. It had a very cozy feeling, with a large plush couch and arm chair, each with a wooly looking blanket draped over the back of them. Callie took off her shoes and stood there rather awkwardly, not sure what to do.

"Follow me," Alder said, motioning Callie towards the kitchen. She did as she was instructed, and Alder led her to his kitchen, which had the same sort of homey feel as his living room. He walked over to the cabinets and began rummaging through them.

"Lay Zorua and Oshawott on the table," he said over his shoulder as he continued searching.

Callie placed Zoro on the table and watched as he continued to lie there motionlessly. She frowned softly and pulled Oshawott's pokéball off her belt and released Oshawott, who appeared on the table, eyes closed and breathing faint. Taking in the current state of both pokémon, her eyes began watering — how could she have let this happen?

She looked back to Alder and saw that he had found whatever he was looking for, several different items strewn across his counter top, and he was adding different ingredients to a small bowl — herbs, berries, leaves — and began muddling them all together.

"What are you doing?" Callie said quietly, watching Alder curiously.

"Once I get these all ground up, these should create a liquid that will revive your pokémon with ease," Alder said, not taking his eyes off the bowl.

Callie nodded and said nothing, looking back to Zoro and Oshawott — this was all her fault. . . .

Tear began streaming down her cheeks again, and Callie hastily began wiping her eyes, not wanting to cry in front of Alder. However, he heard her sniffles and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Your pokémon will be just fine," he said suddenly. "Your Oshawott took a great deal of damage, saving you from that Hyper Fang attack, and Zorua — well, its just exhausted after that move."

Callie thought back to the move Alder mentioned — she had never seen Zoro preform any attacks ever, but that particular attack. . . . It was so powerful! He was able to attack and defeat nearly three dozen pokémon with one attack.

"Alder," Callie said quietly. "Do you know what attack that was?"

Alder raised an eyebrow, glancing at Callie. "You don't?" Callie shook her head and he nodded thoughtfully. "Well, that was Zorua's Night Daze attack, and it's a unique move that only Zorua and Zoroark are able to use."

"Zoroark?" Callie echoed.

"Zorua's evolved form," Alder said. Callie nodded and Alder watched as she continued to watch her unconscious pokémon. "So, trainer, what's your name?"

"Me? I'm Callie," she said.

Alder smiled and nodded. "Well, Callie, I know you may feel like you failed your pokémon today, but I will say, you've raised them well — for a pokémon to protect their trainer like that. . . . I never expected Oshawott to take a Hyper Fang attack from such a high level Watchog," said Alder. "And your Zorua is incredibly strong — Night Daze can only be learned by very high level Zorua.

Callie blushed lightly, smiling sheepishly. "Well, I've only had Oshawott since yesterday, a-and like I said, Zorua's not mine. He's wild, but he's my best friend."

Alder raised an eyebrow, nodding thoughtfully. "Well then, I'm even more impressed — the bond you have with your Oshawott. . . . It takes most trainers months to form that kind of trust with their pokémon."

"R-really?" Callie said with wide eyes, looking back to her Oshawott, who laid there on the table taking short, shallow breaths.

"Mhmm — ah, I think this is ready," Alder said suddenly, looking down at the bowl of ingredients he had been muddling together. Callie looked down and saw it was a deep violet color now, and watched as Alder dipped the tip of her finger in the bowl and tasted it, nodding to himself.

"It's perfect," he muttered.

He grabbed a spoon and walked over to the table.

"Hold Zorua and Oshawott up," he instructed.

Callie did as she was told and held up Zoro, allowing Alder to give it some medicine. After Zoro was taken care of, she held Oshawott up, and Alder gave him some of the medicine as well. Callie held her breath, watching and waiting, hoping to see either pokémon show any signs of consciousness.

"It may take some time for them to recover," Alder said quietly. "They were both very exhausted."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Callie muttered quietly.

However, just as she was about to return Oshawott to his pokéball, the small otter-like pokémon groaned softly.

"Osha . . . wott. . . ," he muttered, opening his eyes slowly.

Callie looked down, her eyes widening. "Oshawott, you're awake!"

Oshawott looked up at Callie, smiling weakly. "Osha!"

Callie smiled brightly, pulling Oshawott into a hug. "Oh, Oshawott, I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried about you," Callie said softly.

"Osh, oshawott," Oshawott laughed, nuzzling into Callie neck.

"Zor. . . ."

Callie and Oshawott both paused and looked down and saw Zorua beginning to stand up, looking a bit unsteady.

"Zoro, you're awake too!" Callie said excitedly.

Oshawott jumped out of Callie's arms and landed next to Zoro, looking fondly at his friend. Zoro smiled at Oshawott and the two high-fived, obviously glad to see one another feeling better. Callie and Alder watched the two of them, obviously a bit amused. Then, Zoro looked back to Callie, smiling softly.

"Zoro," Callie said quietly, feeling a twinge a guilt. "I-I'm sorry. . . . You were trying to warn me that attacking Patrat was a bad idea, but I didn't listen. . . . I got so caught up in trying to catch it, that I put you and Oshawott in a lot of danger. . . . I'm so sorry you two had to protect me."

"Zor, Zorua!" Zoro said, jumping on to Callie's shoulder, her apology obviously accepted.

Oshawott let out a yell and jumped onto Callie's other shoulder, the the three of them laughed happily.

Alder smirked. "So, do you still feel like a terrible trainer?"

Callie paused and looked at Alder. "I'm sorry?"

"Earlier you said that I must have seen how terrible of a trainer you are," he said, "but from what I can tell, you're an excellent trainer who made a bad call. But your pokémon care about you a great deal, and they trust you immensely — it shows you have great potential as a trainer. I think we can expect great things from you."

"From me?" Callie said. Callie paused, thinking about why she was sent here in the first place — to stop Team Plasma from taking over. . . . Was Celebi right in choosing her? Could she really stop Team Plasma?

Alder nodded. "Now, how about we get you back to the Pokémon Center, and you can check in there — I know it's only a little after noon, but you probably want some rest."

Callie was just about to agree when she thought about her promise she had made to Hugh's little sister — to deliver the Town Map. She had to try to track him down. . . .

"Actually, I'm looking for someone," Callie said with a frown. "You see, my friend's little sister asked me to bring him a Town Map, because he left his at home, but I'm not sure where he is."

"Oh, is that so?" said Alder. "What's his name?"

"Hugh," Callie said. "He's sorta loud, a-and really. . . . Bold, I suppose."

Alder thought for a moment before a look of realization crossed his face. "Oh, your friend is the one with the Snivy, isn't he?" Callie nodded and Alder smiled. "It just so happens, he was training his Pokémon on Route 20. . . . Well, if that's the case, you should go give him the Town Map! Just follow the road outside my house, it leads straight to Route 20!"

"Perfect," Callie said smiling. Then she caught a glimpse of her arms and saw there were streaks of dried blood all down her arms and paused. "Erm — do you think I could use your bathroom first so I could freshen up?"

"Hm — oh, yes, down the hall, second door on your left," Alder instructed.

So, once she had cleaned up and Oshawott and Zoro had taken a bit more medicine that Alder had made, Callie gathered her things and began to head towards the front door.

"Thank you again, Alder," Callie said as she slipped on her shoes. "I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't intervened."

"It was no problem — just promise to be more careful from here on out," Alder said. Callie nodded and he smiled before handing her a small bottle. "Here, take this."

"Hm?" Callie took the bottle carefully, Zoro and Oshawott joining her in inspecting it.

"It's the same medicine I just made," Alder said. "I figure you may want to hold on to it, in case your pokémon get themselves into any more trouble."

Callie smiled and nodded, tucking the bottle into her bag. "Thank you very much, Alder. Well, I guess I'd best get going then —"

She made a move for the door when a picture hanging on the wall caught her eye — it was Alder, surrounded by six pokémon, two of them being Bouffalant and Braviary. Alder was holding a trophy and waving towards he camera, bright pieces of confetti and glistening streamers all around them. It then dawned on Callie why Alder looked so familiar — he had been in her history book.

"You're Alder," Callie muttered, her eyes growing wide. "You're the Unova Pokémon Champion!"

Alder's eyes widened and he laughed softly, shaking his head. "No one's called me that in a long time. . . ."

"What?" Callie said. "But, you are! You're the champion!"

"I _was_ the Champion," Alder corrected her. Callie paused and Alder continued. "I lost that title to a young, very powerful trainer named Iris about two years ago."

"Oh," Callie said softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Alder laughed, shaking his head. "No, it's fine — it's good to know people still remember my name. Now, you best get going!"

Callie nodded and opened the door, heading to her bike. As she mounted her bike, Oshawott and Zorua made themselves comfortable in the basket.

"Thank you again, Alder!" Callie said over her shoulder, waving wildly before she pushed off, heading off once again.

"Take care, Callie!" Alder said, waving back.

Bouffalant, who had been grazing in the front yard, trotted slowly over to Alder, grunting heavily at his trainer. Alder smiled and watched Callie ride off, getting smaller and smaller on the horizon, before looking down at Bouffalant.

"That girl. . . . She's on a mission," Alder said to his Bouffalant. "I know you saw what I saw, Bouffalant. I know it's crazy to say it, but for a moment, I could have sworn I saw it. . . ."

He thought back to the battle.

_It was the moment Callie was trying to make it back to her bike with her fainted companions, but found her path blocked by the Watchog. Alder and his Bouffalant were watching from their ledge, ready to intervene at any moment, when out of the corner of his eye, Alder saw a small, green fairy like creature fluttering out of the woods — he looked over and saw it, clear as day._

_Celebi. It looked weak and weary, but it was flying towards Callie, as if it was going to protect her._

_"Bouffalant," Alder whispered, motioning to the pokémon. Bouffalant turned and his eyes widened, confirming Alder that he did indeed see Celebi there._

_"It's trying to protect that girl," Alder muttered, "but it's in no condition to fight. We have to intervene."_

_"Bouuuu. . . ."_

Alder shook his head, smiling to himself and looked up just in time to watch Callie disappear out of sight.

"Yes, that girl is something else," he said quietly. "To have Celebi watching over her, of all pokémon. . . . Yes, she is destined for greatness."

_"Bouuuuu!"_

Bouffalant nudged his trainer's hand impatiently and thrusted his head towards his empty trough. Alder looked and laughed, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh, right, I guess I forgot to fill your trough this morning, didn't I?" Alder said with a chuckle.

Bouffalant huffed impatiently, and Alder went off to get him some food, his mind still on Callie and Celebi.

What in the world was that girl up to?


	3. Enter: Team Plasma!

Chapter Three

"Route 20 isn't very long — we've been down it and back twice already," Callie sighed to Zorua and Oshawott. "There's still no sign of Hugh — do you think we missed him?"

"Osha," Oshawott muttered from the basket.

Callie frowned to herself. She had promised Hugh's little sister that she'd deliver the town map to him, but if she couldn't find him, then there really wasn't much she could do. She was also beginning to grow weary of riding her bike, and she knew Zoro and Oshawott were both ready to get out of the basket and do some walking. Callie was about to just pull her bike over to the side of the road and take a break, but then she saw a large sign that read 'Floccesy Ranch' a little ways up the road.

"Floccesy Ranch? That'll be a perfect place to stop! I bet there are plenty of pokémon for you two to meet, huh?"

"Zor!"

"Osh! Oshawott!"

Callie smiled brightly, picking up the pace on her bike — she may not have been able to find Hugh, but she was going to make her pokémon very happy. Within moments, they were pulling into Floccesy Ranch, and immediately, Callie could see other trainers battling one another — there had to be at least a dozen other people there!

"Wow. . . . Guess we're not the only one's who thought coming here would be a good idea, huh?" Callie said as she got off her bike, leaning it against the wooden fence.

She looked around, taking in the look of the ranch in the warm light of the setting sun. Mareep were roaming freely, grazing idly on the ranch, most of them gathered around a patch of particularly green grass by the river bed. Not too far off in the distance was a large house with a barn beside it, and Callie assumed the owners of the ranch must live there.

Zoro and Oshawott both jumped out of the basket and stood on either side of Callie, looking around at trainers battling and Mareep grazing.

"Well, how about we walk around a bit, hm? We can stretch our legs, and then we'll head back to Floccesy Town and stay at the Pokémon Center," Callie suggested as they began to set off on their little exploration.

However, they only managed to take a few steps before they were stopped.

"Oh! Nice! You've come here to toughen up!"

Callie recognized the voice and looked ahead, seeing none other than Hugh standing there smiling broadly at her. Standing next to him was another familiar face — Wes.

Callie smiled and waved happily. "Hugh! Wes! Hey there!" She ran over to the two of them, Oshawott and Zorua trailing behind her.

"Hey, Callie!" Wes said. "I can't believe the three of us are all here! What a coincidence!"

"It's great timing, that's all!" said Hugh. "So, Callie, have you caught any pokémon yet?"

Callie frowned, thinking back to just a few hours ago, when she and Oshawott had been attacked by the Watchog and Patrat.

"Er, no, we haven't caught any yet," she said with a frown. "We ran into a Patrat, but it, uh, didn't go over so well."

Wes smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry about it, Callie! It's only been a day, and you can't catch every pokémon you see."

"What about you guys, have you caught anything?" Callie said, trying to distract herself.

"I haven't," said Hugh, "but Wes on the other hand. . . ."

"You caught a pokémon?" Callie said with wide eyes. "Really? Let me see!"

Wes blushed, smiling sheepishly. "Come on, guys, it's not that big of a deal. . . ."

_"Wes!" _Hugh and Callie said impatiently.

"Fine, fine," Wes laughed, pulling a pokéball off his belt. "Come on out!"

From Wes's pokéball appeared a small, fox-like Pokémon. It had a red-brow pelt, brown eyes, and large pointed ears, with six orange tails, each tail curled at the end. Callie's eyes widened and she clasped her hands together.

"Oh, wow, what kind of pokémon is that?" she said in awe. "It's so cute!"

"It's a Vulpix!" Wes said cheerily. "I actually just caught it right before you and Hugh showed up — she's mine and Tepig's first new buddy!"

"Vul!" Vulpix said with a yawn, looking up at Callie and Hugh curiously.

Oshawott and Zorua walked over to the Vulpix and smiled brightly. Vulpix looked a little wary at first, but soon beamed happily, wagging her tails back and fourth.

"I think they like each other," Hugh said with a laugh.

"Looks like it!" said Wes with a laugh. "So, Callie, what brings you to Floccesy Ranch? Doing some training like some of these other trainers?"

"Actually, we were just taking a break and thought it'd be a nice place to stop," said Callie. "It just so happens that I ran into you and Hugh here, and — oh! Hugh!"

Callie stopped mid-sentence and reached for her bag, sorting through her things. She then pulled out the town map and held it out to Hugh.

"You're little sister stopped me while leaving Aspertia City, and she asked me to bring you this!" Callie said.

Hugh raised an eyebrow, taking the town map. "A town map, huh? Tch. . . . She didn't have to do that. . . . Thanks to you, too. We just left, and you're already helped me out."

"It was nothing," Callie said with a smile. "I'm always happy to help."

Hugh smiled. "Oh, is that so? Then do me another favor and let me see how much stronger you've become! Come at me!"

Callie's eyes widened. "Er — what?"

"Battle me, Callie!" Hugh said, pulling a pokéball off his belt. "Wes wouldn't battle me, and Snivy and I are rearing and ready to go! Let's have another battle! Things will be different this time!"

Callie looked to Wes, who sighed, shaking his head wearily. "You know he won't stop bugging you until you actually battle him."

"Yeah, but I don't —"

"Excuse me!"

The three trainers paused and turned, only to see an older couple coming towards them, some kind of canine pokémon running towards them. The pokémon had a shaggy dark blue fur coat and short tail, and it had a short snout. The couple both ran over to them, stopping on a few feet away, panting heavily and looking worried.

"Hey! I'm really sorry to bother you folks, but we need your help," said the woman.

"Who are you?" Hugh said curiously.

"Who are we?" said the man. "Well, I'm Travon, the owner of this ranch, and this is my wife, Molly! And this here is our Herdier!"

"A Herdier, huh?" Callie muttered as she pulled out her PokéDex and aimed it at the pokémon.

"Herdier, the Loyal Dog Pokémon, and the evolved form of Lillipup. Always obedient and faithful to their Trainers, Herdier have helped them raise other Pokémon since long ago," Dexter said aloud.

"Wow, this Herdier is real cute," Callie said, smiling down at it.

"Yeah, it sure is," said Molly. "That's actually part of the reason why we stopped you — you didn't happen to see another Herdier around here, did you? We can't figure out where it went."

"You see, our two Herdier are always together, and this is the first time one has wandered off, so we're a little worried," said Travon.

Hugh's eyes widened. "You're a _little_ worried? Are you _kidding_ me? Your Pokémon might be lost forever!"

"Hugh, calm down," Wes said quietly.

"_Calm down?_ There's a pokémon missing! And you expect me to calm down?" Hugh said, getting more and more heated. "Whatever! I'll look! Callie! Wes! Help out!"

And with that, Hugh took off in search of Herdier.

"Your friend is a bit energetic," said Travon, watching Hugh disappear.

"You can say that again," Wes sighed.

"Yes, but, he's actually doing what we were going to ask of you," said Molly. "We'd really appreciate it if you would help us look for our Herdier. Our ranch is quite large, and it would take an awfully long time to find Herdier if it was just the two of us."

"Can't your other Herdier sniff it out?" said Callie curiously.

"Maybe a few years ago, but you see, Herdier here is getting on in age, and his nose doesn't work the way it used to. That's why we're so worried about our other Herdier — they're the same age, and, well, we're worried something may have happened to him," said Travon.

Callie frowned, looking down at Oshawott, who was still playing with Wes's Vulpix — she had only had him for a day, but she knew that if she were ever separated from Oshawott, or even Zoro, she'd worry herself sick.

"We'll help," Callie said suddenly.

Wes looked at her. "_We_ will?"

"Mhmm," Callie said with a nod. "C'mon, Wes, we'll look together."

Wes smiled softly and nodded. "Right, sounds good. Vulpix, return."

Vulpix was returned to its pokéball, and Callie looked back to Travon and Molly.

"Just leave it to us! We'll have your Herdier back in no time," Callie said with a smile.

Travon and Molly nodded. "We really appreciate the help."

"Well, let's get to it then, Callie," said Wes. "If Hugh went west, how about we go east?"

"Sounds good — Oshawott, why don't you rest in your pokéball?" Callie suggested.

Oshawott, still not fully recovered from his battle with the Watchog from earlier that day, nodded, and Callie returned him to his pokéball. Zoro jumped onto her shoulder, and the two of them headed off with Wes in search of Herdier. They walked in silence for a while, the only sound being that of the trainers who were still battling one another in the distance, but even their orders faded into silence the further they walked. At one point Zoro jumped off Callie's shoulder and began sniffing the ground in search of Herdier's scent.

"Y'know, it was really nice of you to offer to find their Herdier," said Wes. "But, you really didn't need to volunteer me like that. . . ."

Callie glanced at him and saw he was smiling, and she rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Oh, get over it — Travon and Molly seem really nice, and they're really worried about their Herdier. Considering their ranch is open to all trainers to come and train, it seems only fitting that we give them a hand. Besides, you said you found your Vulpix here, right? You should return the favor and find their pokémon."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Wes muttered. "But finding Herdier won't be easy — this place is huge."

"Yeah, but pokémon don't normally wander off, do they?" Callie said. "What if something happened to Herdier?"

"You heard Travon — these Herdier are pretty old. Herdier probably thought it saw something and went after it, and then it got itself lost —"

_"Yawrp!"_

Callie, Zoro, and Wes all froze — that definitely sounded like a pokémon in trouble.

"Did you hear that just now?" Callie said to Wes.

Wes nodded. "Sure did."

"Zor!" Zoro said, looking back at them and motioning for the two of them to follow him.

Zoro took off and Callie and Wes ran after him, cutting through bushes and underbrush. Soon, Zorua led the two of them to a small clearing. It was lined with trees on every side, except on the far side of the clearing, there was a towering wall of rocks. Also on the far side of the clearing stood two men, both dressed in dark grey uniforms with black vests and black boots. They wore black berets, and dark grey masks covered the lower halves of their faces. They were towering over two pokémon, a Herdier, and a pokémon Callie didn't recognize.

"Yarrrrp," Herdier growled, obviously scared of these men.

The other pokémon was a small, blue, canine Pokémon that stood on its hind legs. It had black legs and torso, a blue tail, and a yellow collar. It stared at the men before it, glaring sharply at them, standing in front of Herdier in a protective manner.

"What pokémon is that?" Callie whispered.

"That's a Riolu," said Wes. "And it looks like it's in rough shape!"

Callie paused and really looked at the Riolu, and she saw that Wes was right — it had several deep gashes on its body, and it looked as if it were about to fall over from exhaustion.

"Alright, you two pokémon are coming with us," growled one of the men.

"What luck, Lucas," said the other. "We wanted the Herdier, and this Riolu showed up to protect it — now we have a Riolu too!"

"Just shut it and grab them, Elias!" snapped Lucas.

"They're trying to steal those pokémon!" Callie whispered. "We have to do something!"

Wes frowned. "Yeah, but we need to come up with a plan first — Callie, wait!"

While Wes was talking, Callie had taken the pokéball off her belt and run forward. "Hey! You there! Leave those pokémon alone!"

The two men stopped and turned around, narrowing their eyes at Callie. Riolu's eyes widened as it looked at Callie, and Herdier cowered in fear behind it.

"What's with the girl?" said Elias.

Lucas growled lowly. "Tch. . . . I hate pests! I suppose we'll just have to crush you!"

Lucas and Elias both pulled a pokéball off their belts, and Callie frowned — could she really battle two people at once? However, soon enough, she wasn't alone, and Wes was standing beside her.

"If you want to have a double battle, you should make it a fair fight! Tepig, let's go!" Wes released his Tepig, who looked ready to battle.

Callie frowned — she only had Oshawott, but she knew he was still weary from the battle earlier today. . . . She didn't have a choice.

"Alright, Oshawott — come on out!" Callie said, releasing Oshawott.

Despite being weak from the battle with Watchog, Oshawott appeared on the field, looking across the way to the two men.

"Oshawott, Tepig — these two scum bags are trying to steal those pokémon, so let's show 'em what we do to thieves!" Callie directed.

"Alright, brats, we'll just have to teach you two a lesson!" growled Lucas. He released a Patrat and his partner Elias let a Purrloin onto the field.

"Elias, you handle the one with the Tepig," said Lucas. "I'll handle this loud mouth and her Oshawott."

Callie bit her lip as she watched Oshawott stare down the Patrat in front of him, wondering if he'd be okay to battle — even she was still a bit shaken.

"Are you okay to battle, Oshawott?" Callie called.

Oshawott glanced over his shoulder back to his trainer and gave a stiff nod.

"Osh!"

"It looks like he wants to settle that score with the Patrat from earlier," said Wes. "You got one fiesty Oshawott there, Callie."

Callie smiled softly as she saw the determination glisten in Oshawott's eyes — he was a fighter, that was for sure. She looked past Oshawott, and even past Lucas, looking to Riolu and Herdier. Riolu's eyes were still locked on her, watching her in awe. . . . She had to save them.

"Well, we aren't going to wait around all day," growled Lucas. "Patrat! Tackle attack, now!"

"Patrat!"

Patrat took off, charging at Oshawott, but he and Callie were ready.

"Alright, Oshawott — we gotta win this fight and save Herdier and Riolu! So, give it all you got and dodge it!" Callie called. Oshawott nodded and leapt into the air, avoiding Patrat's feeble attempt of a Tackle attack.

"Good job, Oshawott! Now counter it with an aerial Water Gun!"

"Osha!"

Oshawott took a deep breath before unleashing a powerful Water Gun directly at Patrat from above. The chipmunk pokémon looked up in surprise and took the Water Gun straight to the face, pushing it down to the ground.

"Great job! Now, while it's down, hit it with a Tackle!"

"Wott!"

Oshawott turned in midair and doe towards the ground, head first, his eyes locked on Patrat.

"Er — dodge it, Patrat!"

"Trat!"

Patrat rolled to the side, out of the way of Oshawott.

"No! Oshawott! Cancel the Tackle! Land on your feet!" Callie called out.

But it was too late. Oshawott hit the ground head first, and it fell on its face, laying there for a moment.

"Oshawott, are you okay?" Callie said.

Oshawott lifted its head shakily. "Osha. . . . Wott. . . ."

"Ha! That Oshawott of yours isn't very strong!" laughed Lucas. "Now, Patrat, give it a Bite attack!"

"Patrat!"

Lucas's Patrat ran forward and bit down on Oshawott's tail hard. The pain was just enough to cause Oshawott to jump to his feet with a great shout, and he began wagging his tail violently from side to side, trying to shake him off.

"Hold on, Patrat! Wear it down!" Lucas called.

"Oshawott! Shake Patrat off!" Callie shouted.

Oshawott gave a strained nod and with another powerful thrust, freed his tail from Patrat's teeth and sent it flying into a tree. Patrat hit the trunk of the tree with a loud _'thud'_, and fell to the ground, slouching over.

"Er — get up, Patrat!" growled Lucas.

"Alright, Oshawott, I know you're tired, so let's finish this battle with one more move! Water Gun!" Callie called.

"Osha-wott!"

Oshawott let forth another Water Gun attack and hit Patrat head on, pinning it against the tree. Patrat let out a final cry before fainting, and Oshawott ceased his Water Gun. Patrat slumped to the ground, unconscious, and Lucas let out an irritated growl.

"Patrat, return!" he snapped.

"Good job, Oshawott!" Callie cheered.

"Osh-osha," Oshawott said, jogging back to Callie, smiling wearily.

Callie picked up her pokémon, smiling softly — he was truly exhausted.

"You did exactly what you needed to do — now, why don't you take a rest in your pokéball?" Callie suggested.

Oshawott nodded and she returned him to his pokéball. It was around this time that Wes finished his battle with Elias, and he and Tepig had also come out victorious.

"Good job, Tepig — return!" Wes said, returning his pokémon to its pokéball.

Callie and Wes then turned their attention back to Lucas and Elias.

"Er — so what if we lost? I'm still taking this Riolu and Herdier!" growled Lucas, turning around to seize the two pokémon.

Riolu, despite being badly injured and exhausted, braced itself, ready to defend Herdier.

"Oh no you don't!" growled Callie, running forward and tackling Lucas.

She pushed him into the wall, and looked to Riolu and Herdier.

"Don't worry you guys, we'll keep you safe — come on," Callie said.

Herdier nodded and ran over to Wes, standing behind him. Callie looked to Riolu, waiting for him to run, but instead, the small pokémon careened backwards, too exhausted from the injuries it had sustained from protecting Herdier.

"No! Riolu!" Callie said, quickly picking up the Riolu.

She made a move to run back to Wes, but Lucas caught her by the back of her shirt.

"Oh no you don't, you brat! Give me that Riolu!" Lucas sneered. "And while we're at it, I'll just snatch that Zorua on your shoulder!"

"Let me go!" growled Callie. "You aren't getting Zoro _or_ Riolu!"

"Snivy! Quick! Use Vine Whip!" a voice called from above.

Callie and Lucas both looked up and saw Hugh was standing on the top of the rocks, his Snivy beside him. Snivy used Vine Whip, and two bright green vines shot forward, slapping Lucas's face. Lucas let go of Callie to hold his face, and before she could move, Wes grabbed her, pulling her, Zoro, and Riolu away from him.

"Are you okay?" Wes said, giving her a quick once over. "He didn't hurt you, right?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Callie said.

"You okay down there, Callie?" Hugh said from his position on the boulder.

Callie looked up at Hugh, giving him a firm nod. "I'm great, thanks, Hugh! But how'd you find us?"

"I heard Herdier cry, so I went and told Travon and Molly, and then I got back here as fast as I could — Travon should be here soon!" Hugh called out.

"I can't believe a bunch of little twerps like you stopped us," growled Lucas.

"We should get out of here, Lucas," Elias warned.

"Yeah, you're right," he muttered.

Wes pulled a pokéball from his belt and stepped in front of Callie, glaring at the two men. "Who are you?"

Lucas and Elias paused, and Lucas laughed lowly, shaking his head.

"Oh, us? We're both members of a group that strikes fear into the hearts of those who stand before it: Team Plasma! Ever heard of it?"

Callie froze — these two were members of Team Plasma, the organization she was supposed to defeat? It was only her very first day of her journey, and she was already running into them?

"Well, have you?" snapped Lucas.

"I know who you are," growled Wes.

"That's right! We're the righteous group that tried to conquer Unova two years back in order to liberate Pokémon! Whatever, fools will never understand us. . . . First we got lost chasing some old Herdier, and now some nosy kids caught us," Lucas muttered.

"Lucas," Elias said warily. "We need to go."

"Right. . . . Okay! We'll use this opportunity to retreat for now!"

"Oh no you won't," growled Wes.

However, Elias seized something from his pocket and threw it at the ground, and a large cloud of black smoke appeared, blinding them. Callie took a deep breath, which was a mistake, and she inhaled a great amount of smoke, burning her throat and lungs. Her eyes stung from the smoke and she clenched them shut, trying to protect them.

"Callie!" Wes yelled into the smoke, reaching for her.

"I'm fine!" she coughed, holding onto Riolu tightly, Zoro pressing himself into her neck. "Just make sure they don't get Herdier!"

"Right!"

There was the sound of retreating footsteps, but then a voice called from behind them.

"Pidove! Use Gust and clear this smoke!"

With a great gust of wind, the smoke cleared, and Callie opened her watering eyes, her throat and lungs still burning. She looked around, thankful to find Zoro and Riolu still with her, and Herdier safely with Wes. Hugh returned his Snivy and jumped of the boulder, joining the two of them on the ground. Wes and Callie turned around though, and the three of them focused in on the one who cleared the smoke — Travon and his Pidove.

"Travon! You made it!" Hugh said with a smile.

"And it looks like I was just in time, too," said Travon. "You found my Herdier!"

Herdier perked up immediately when he saw Travon and ran over to him, barking happily.

"Well, I'm grateful to all three of you, thank you," said Travon happily.

"Your pokémon was almost kidnapped by Team Plasma!" shouted Hugh. "You shouldn't be so calm — Herdier may have been gone for good!"

"Team Plasma?" echoed Travon, scratching his head. "I can't say I know who they are. . . . But, I thank you kids all the same."

Hugh frowned, obviously upset. "You better take better care of your pokémon!"

"Hugh, calm down," Callie said softly. "He had no way of knowing Team Plasma was going to take his Herdier —"

"That's no excuse!" snapped Hugh. "Why don't you guys care more?"

"What are you talking about? We just rescued Herdier and Riolu!" snapped Wes.

Callie nodded. "That's right! And we need to get Riolu taken care of, and quickly! It was protecting Herdier, and it needs some serious medical attention!"

"Oh no," Travon muttered, seeing the Riolu in her arms. He frowned. "That's the Riolu that lives here on the ranch. . . . It's good friends with most of the pokémon that live here, and it tends to play with our Herdier. . . . I'm not surprised to hear it was protecting Herdier. . . ."

"Well, it saved Herdier, so we need to repay the favor and save it," said Wes. "Callie, if we hurry, we can get back to Floccesy Town in about forty-five minutes!"

"Right," Callie said with a nod.

"There's no need for all that," said Travon. "Bring Riolu back to my house — Molly used to be a Pokémon nurse back in the day. . . . She'll know just what to do."

And so they were off. Callie, Zoro, Wes, and Hugh all followed Travon back to his house, Riolu laying unmoving in Callie's arms the entire time. Soon enough, the three trainers were all sitting in Travon and Molly's living room, Zoro laying on Callie's lap. Molly had taken Riolu to a room in the back of the house, and Travon was making them tea in the kitchen.

Since they were all waiting in silence, they began telling stories about the first day of their pokémon journey. Hugh told them about the five trainers he had battle consecutively, and how he managed to beat four out of the five. Wes didn't say much, but he spoke briefly about the battle he said when he was catching Vulpix. When it got to Callie, both boys wanted to hear about her battle with the Patrat, and Callie told them everything, about it calling for help and summoning the dozens of Patrat and Watchog. She went on about how Oshawott took the full brunt of the Hyper Fang, and then Zoro rescuing her with Protect and Night Daze.

Wes and Hugh were both impressed with the story, but when she mentioned Alder stepping in, both boys nearly lost it.

_"No way!"_ gasped Hugh.

"You met _Alder_?" said Wes. "The _former champion_ Alder?"

Callie nodded. "Mhmm. He brought me back to his house and fixed up Oshawott and Zoro for me!"

"I can't believe it!" groaned Wes. "He was my idol as a kid! It broke my heart when Iris defeated him and took the champion title!"

"Was he amazing?" said Hugh. "Was he as magnificent as he looks on tv? Was he powerful? _Can you introduce us?_"

Callie laughed lightly. "I don't know about all that, and I don't know if I can introduce you," she said with a sheepish smile.

Hugh hung his head, disappointed. "Awe, man, I should have known it was too good to be true — you have all the luck, Callie."

"Alright, kids, I've got some tea for ya'," Travon said, coming into the living room with a tray with four steaming cups of tea balanced on it.

Travon sat down with the three of them, and each of them began sipping the tea.

"I owe you three a great deal," said Travon. "You rescued my Herdier today, and you saved that poor Riolu from that Team Plasma."

Callie noticed Hugh clench his fist at the mention of Team Plasma, but he said nothing. She looked back to Travon.

"It's getting late, and some very strong pokémon come out late at night. Molly and I wanted to know if you'd all like to stay here tonight instead of trying to make it back to the Pokémon Center in Floccesy Town," said Travon.

Callie paused, looking down at the sleeping Zoro in her lap — there was no doubt he was tired, and Oshawott was in no condition to battle. And then there was Riolu. . . . She wanted to stay and make sure he was okay. . . .

"I think I'll stay here tonight," Callie said.

"I'll stay here too," said Wes. "My pokémon need a little more rest before we try battling any pokémon."

"You two are such babies," said Hugh. "C'mon! There are strong pokémon out there, he just told you! You're gonna pass up an opportunity like this to get stronger?"

"Your pokémon didn't just battle Team Plasma, Hugh," sighed Wes.

"Yeah, our pokémon are tired — Oshawott's had a big day," Callie said. "Zoro here is knocked out cold, and then there's still Riolu. . . ."

"Those sound like a bunch of excuses to me!" Hugh said, getting to his feet. "I'm not going to pass up an opportunity like this!"

And with that, Hugh ran out of the house, shouting a good-bye to Callie, Wes, and Travon, disappearing into the night.

"That boy," Travon muttered. "He doesn't slow down, does he?"

"Never," Callie sighed, shaking her head. She looked to Travon. "Do you know if Molly will be finished with Riolu soon?"

"I'm sure it won't take her too much longer," said Travon. "Riolu's wounds didn't seem too terrible. . . ."

"Will he be okay?" Wes said curiously.

"Oh, he'll be just fine," said a voice from the hallway.

The three of them turned and look and saw Molly coming into the living room, her white hair pulled up in a bun on the top of her head. She looked exhausted, and she sat down in the chair Hugh had just been moments before, sighing heavily.

"Well, it wasn't easy, but I got most of those wounds stitched up," said Molly, accepting a cup of tea Travon offered her. She took a sip and continued. "He'll have some scars for sure, but I think the psychological damage will be far worse than the physical damage."

Callie frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you see, that Riolu has been at this ranch for quite some time now," said Travon. "It's been about a year since it's first arrived — it was abandoned by its trainer."

Callie's eyes widened and Wes clenched his fists. "Who would do such a thing?"

Molly shook her head sadly. "Who knows. . . . No one saw the trainer. We went to bed one night, woke up, and the next day, Riolu was there, sitting by the gates, waiting for his trainer to return."

"That's terrible," Callie whispered.

Travon nodded. "Mhmm. . . . Riolu waited for his trainer for nearly a month. He barely ate, barely slept, and he never moved, just waited for his trainer to return. . . . It wasn't until a terrible storm rolled through, and Riolu fell terribly ill. . . . Molly and I took care of it then, nursing it back to health. . . . After that day, Riolu seemed to understand what had happened, that his trainer was never going to return, and he opened up to Molly and myself, and became quick friends with our Herdier. . . . But Riolu's never trusted trainers since that day."

"Well, it's no wonder why," Callie said. "I haven't had Oshawott very long, but I could never imagine doing something like that."

"That's because you're not a monster," muttered Wes.

"Well, I think that's enough talk," said Molly. "Are you two resting here tonight?"

Wes nodded. "We are — thank you again for allowing us to stay here."

"Well, thank you two for protecting Herdier and Riolu," said Travon with a smile.

"Well, Travon, how about you go get the guest room ready, and I'll throw together a quick dinner," Molly said, finishing her tea.

Travon nodded and Molly disappeared into the kitchen, while her husband set off down the hallway to get their room in order. Wes looked at Callie, who was looking down at the sleeping Zoro in her lap, her mind on Riolu. . . .

"You look upset," Wes said, eyeing her cautiously.

"I just don't understand why someone would abandon a pokémon," Callie muttered, her eyes watering. "And Riolu seems like such a amazing pokémon. . . . I-I just. . . . I don't get it."

She clenched her eyes shut, not allowing herself to cry — not in front of Wes. He frowned softly and put a gentle hand on her knee.

"I don't think that's something you and I will ever understand," said Wes. "But what's important now is that Riolu is safe, and tomorrow, he'll be able to go back to spending time with Herdier on the ranch, and that's all thanks to you."

"To me?" Callie said, looking up at him.

Wes smiled. "Of course! You were the one who told Molly and Travon we'd help, and when we found Team Plasma trying to steal Herdier and Riolu, you immediately jumped into action to save them!" Callie smiled softly and Wes continued. "You're really something else, Callie. I'll admit, yesterday when we met, I wasn't sure if you really had what it takes to be a pokémon trainer — I mean, you were so confused and unsure of everything, you almost didn't take a PokéDex! But today, watching you and Oshawott battle that Team Plasma guy without any hesitation. . . . You were amazing."

Callie's eyes widened softly and her cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink. "Wes. . . . Thank you. That means a lot."

A look of realization crossed Wes's face, as if what he had said suddenly registered, and immediately his cheeks turned scarlet, and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"W-well, I-I mean, you and Oshawott are an impressive team, all things considered," Wes muttered quickly, looking away from her.

Callie smiled, laughing softly at how flustered Wes had made himself, but before she could say anything, Molly called from the kitchen and let them know it was dinner. So, after they ate, Travon showed the two trainers to their rooms — except, it was only one room, with two sleeping bags laying on the floor.

"O-one room?" Callie said curiously.

"We only have one guest room," said Travon. "Is that okay? I assumed since you two travel together, you wouldn't mind sharing a room."

Callie shook her head. "We don't travel together —"

"But this is perfect, thank you," Wes said, cutting her off.

Travon smiled and nodded, leaving the room, which meant Callie and Wes were alone. Callie placed her bag down and Zoro, who was still a bit worn out from the day's adventures, laid down on the sleeping bag she chose, curling up and quickly falling back asleep. Wes placed his things on one side of the room and looked at Zoro, laughing to himself.

"He must have had a big day," Wes said simply. "He's been sleeping since we got here."

"Yeah, well, today was much more fast paced than we're used to," Callie said, smiling down at Zoro, who began to softly snore.

She pulled her pajamas out of her bag, deciding to change. Wes saw the clothes in her hand, and he made a move for the door.

"I'll give you some privacy," he said quietly.

Callie shook her head, heading for the door as well. "No, I figured I'd go change in the bathroom — I wanted to check on Riolu anyway."

Wes nodded. "Well, I wouldn't bother him too much if I were you. He probably needs the rest."

"I just wanted to see him, don't worry," Callie said, walking out into the hallway.

She changed in the bathroom, putting on the pajamas that the Pokémon Center had given her, and walked down the hallway to the spare room Molly had left Riolu in. The door had been left slightly ajar, and Callie carefully pushed the door open, expecting to see Riolu lying on the bed, sleeping. However, when she opened the door, she instead saw Riolu sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out the window into the night sky. When the door opened though, Riolu turned, his eyes widening when he saw Callie — she was sure he hadn't expected to see her standing there.

"Hey there, Riolu," Callie said softly, stepping into the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Ri."

Riolu turned his head away from Callie, looking back to the window. Callie walked to the bed, standing at the end of it, watching him carefully — he had several cuts on his body that Molly had tended to, and she noticed one cut in particular on the right side of his face that went from the corner of his eye, and nearly reached his nose. It was stitched up rather neatly, but Callie knew it must have hurt a lot.

"Riolu," Callie said quietly. "I just wanted to ask. . . . Did Team Plasma do all that to you? Did they attack you when you stepped in to see Herdier?"

Riolu said nothing. His expression didn't change in the slightest, and his eyes remained locked on the night sky. However, she saw his eyes begin to water ever so slightly as he gave a very stiff nod. Her jaw tightened and her fists clenched.

"How could they do something like that?" she muttered.

Riolu sat there, expressionless, continuing to stare out the window. Callie couldn't believe it. He had to feel some amount of pain, but to not let it show. . . .

"Well, I think what you did was really brave."

"Ri?" Riolu's eyes widened and he looked surprised. Slowly, he looked at Callie, his eyes glistening with tears, and Callie nodded.

"You going out there and protecting Herdier with all your might? You've got to be one of the bravest pokémon I've ever seen," Callie said. "You didn't let your guard down until Herdier was safe with Wes, and even then, you only gave in when your body just couldn't handle it anymore."

Riolu gave the faintest of smiles, and Callie sat down on the bed next to it. Riolu tensed, looking a bit unsure, as if he wasn't convinced he could trust Callie, but after a moment, he relaxed ever so slightly.

"You know, Riolu, Travon and Molly told me about your last trainer," Callie said quietly. Riolu's ears perked and his jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he looked away from Callie and towards the ground. Callie frowned softly and continued. "I just wanted you to know. . . . What your last trainer did was wrong. I don't know why he would have just left you here, but whatever the reason, it was wrong. You're a great pokémon, Riolu, and. . . . And any trainer would be lucky to have you on their team."

Riolu's tear brimmed eyes made their way back to Callie, who was now looking out the window towards the mood that was steadily rising in the dark sky. . . . Today she had the first of what she could only assume would be many battles with Team Plasma, and she and her Oshawott came out victorious. Earlier that day, she and Oshawott were severely outnumbered by all those Patrat and Watchog, and Callie hadn't been sure if this was really the life for her, if she really had what it took to be a pokémon trainer. But this evening, she proved to herself, and even Wes, that she was definitely pokémon trainer material, and she gave herself a much needed confidence boost. Perhaps, with more training and more pokémon, she could actually pull this off — maybe she could really stop Team Plasma.

She heard a thump from the next room over, and Callie paused — it came from her and Wes's room. She sighed softly and stood, smiling down at Riolu, who was still staring at her with his wide eyes.

"Well, Riolu, I need to go back to my room, but you get some rest, okay?" Callie said with a smile.

Riolu stared up at her, his mouth slightly open, and nodded slowly, and Callie waved to him as she left his room. She went back to the room she was sharing with Wes, and when she opened the door, she found her bag had been knocked over and contents spilled across the ground, and Wes was inspecting her history book.

"Don't look at that!" Callie said quickly, rushing over to him and snatching the book away from him. "What are you doing, going through my things?"

"I wasn't going through your things," Wes said defensively. "Zoro was looking for something and knocked it over."

"Don't be silly," snapped Callie. "Zoro's asleep —"

However, when she took a glance at her bag, she saw Zoro sitting beside it, a look of guilt on his face, and an open container of pokémon food at his feet. Callie frowned, shaking her head ever so slightly.

"You slept through dinner, so I can only imagine you're hungry," she muttered. "Did you knock over my bag looking for a snack?"

"Zor. . . ," Zoro looked down at his paws, nodding his head.

Callie sighed and fixed him a bowl of pokémon food and began repacking her bag. As she did, she noticed Wes was watching her, particularly the book in her hands.

"I'm sorry I accused you of going through my things," Callie said. "I'm just a private person, that's all."

"It's fine, I shouldn't have been nosy enough to look through the stuff that came out of your bag," said Wes, settling down on his sleeping bag. "But, Callie, that book you're holding. . . ."

"What about it?"

"Well, it says it was published twenty years from now."

Callie froze, her body tensing. Zoro, who had been eating, immediately looked up from his bowl of food, his eyes wide as he looked from Callie to Wes, and then back to Callie. She held the book out in front of her and looked at the publication date on the cover, printed ever so neatly in the bottom left-hand corner, plain as day. She quickly turned to Wes, clutching the book to her chest, her face flushing.

"O-oh, well, it's just a misprint, that's all," Callie said quickly. "Y'know, the printing people just messed up the year, not a big deal."

Wes studied Callie for a moment, as if he wasn't sure he believed her. But then he simply shrugged, accepting the blatant lie she had just told him as the truth.

"Well, alright — I still think it's weird that you brought along a history book on your journey," said Wes, laying back on his sleeping bag. "You must be some kind of nerd or something."

He flashed Callie a grin, and she smiled softly, rolling her eyes. "Oh, whatever — go to bed."

"I plan on it — you get some sleep too."

Callie nodded and finished packing away her bag, making sure it was closed so it didn't spill again, and she shut off the lights before getting into her own sleeping bag. Zoro curled up next to her pillow, and Callie could just barely make him out in the darkness of the room.

"That was close, Zoro," Callie whispered. "We have to be more careful — no one can know about us. Okay?"

Zoro nodded and Callie sighed heavily, closing her eyes. Her mind went to several different places, all memories from the day — her first official day as a pokémon trainer. From their close call with the Patrat and Watchog, to meeting Alder, then to making their way Floccesy Ranch, and finally, her first battle against Team Plasma. . . . Her first day had definitely been an adventurous one.

Perhaps Bianca was right when she said today was going to be the biggest day of her life. . . .

However, Callie didn't have much time to think, because soon enough, she was drifting off to sleep, her first day's adventures more than enough to allot her a full night of rest.

But morning came all too soon, and Callie was soon woken up by none other than Wes. He was standing by his rolled up sleeping bag, throwing his bag over his shoulder. When he saw Callie had woken up, he smiled.

"Well, good morning, sunshine," Wes said with a grin. "Sleep well?"

"Well enough," Callie groaned, sitting up — her back was a bit stiff from sleeping on the floor all night, but aside from that, she felt ready to face the day.

"Good! Molly just stuck her head in to let us know breakfast was ready," said Wes. "I was going to let you sleep a bit longer, but it looks like you're awake."

Callie nodded and fumbled for her bag, grabbing her clothes. "I'm going to take a quick shower — I'll be out in a moment. . . ."

Twenty minutes later, Callie came into the kitchen with Zoro on her shoulder, both of them looking refreshed after some much needed rest. The table was set for two, and Wes was already sitting down, helping himself to some french toast. Vulpix and Tepig were sitting on the floor next to Wes, eating out of a bowl filled with pokémon good. Molly was standing by the counter, making some more, when she noticed Callie walk in.

"Ah, there you are!" Molly said as Callie sat down. "I trust you slept well."

"I slept great, thank you," Callie said with a smile.

Zoro jumped on the ground, where Molly had been kind enough to put out several bowls of pokémon food. Callie pulled a pokéball off her belt and released Oshawott, who appeared on the floor beside her, his eyes bright and face smiling.

"You look like you're feeling better after getting some rest," Callie said with a small laugh.

"Osh! Osha!" Oshawott cheered. Zoro stopped eating breakfast long enough to greet Oshawott, but then returned to his bowl, and Oshawott joined him, sitting at the bowl beside him, and the two chatted happily with each other, their mouths very full.

"Those two really seem to like each other," Wes said with a laugh.

"Mhmm — they bonded really quick," Callie said. Molly placed a plate of food in front of Callie and she smiled. "Thank you, Molly — are you and Travon going to join us?"

"Oh, dear, Travon already ate breakfast — he woke up early this morning to go tend to the Mareep! And I already ate myself — this is all for you two," said Molly with a smile.

Callie's eyes brightened and she helped herself to breakfast — it was just like her mom would make. After the two of them had finished eating, Callie and Wes helped clear the table, and Oshawott and Zoro laid on the floor by the now empty bowls, having eaten themselves into contentment.

As Callie brought a few dirty dishes to the sink, she paused and looked at Molly.

"So, Molly, how is Riolu this morning?" she asked.

Molly smiled. "Why, he's better than I've ever seen him! He rushed off with Herdier and Travon this morning to help lend a hand with Mareep!"

Callie smiled softly and nodded. "Good, I'm glad to hear that — I was worried about him."

Molly nodded. "Well, he's feeling much better. I've never seen him so happy. He scarfed down his breakfast and immediately went out to the field."

Wes laughed lightly. "Well, that's good to hear."

So, after helping clean the kitchen, Callie and Wes gathered their pokémon and their things and decided to head towards the gates of the ranch. After thanking Molly and Travon once again for their hospitality, the two trainers bid their farewells to the elderly couple. Soon they were outside by the gates, and Callie got her bike ready, Oshawott and Zoro sitting in the basket.

"So, where are you off to next?" said Callie to Wes.

"Back to Aspertia City, to challenge Cheren!" Wes said.

Callie paused. "Cheren?"

"Yeah, the gym leader! Aren't you going to challenge him?" Wes said curiously.

Callie furrowed her brow. "Er — no, I wasn't planning on it. . . . Should I?"

"Well, aren't you going to collect eight gym badges and participate in the Unova League?" Wes asked, obviously shocked by Callie's hesitation.

Callie shook her head. "No, I wasn't planning on it."

Wes paused. "Wait, so then what are you trying to get out of your pokémon journey?"

Callie stood there for a moment, thinking about her answer — aside from defeating Team Plasma, she didn't really have much of a goal. But battling with Oshawott, getting stronger, something about the heat of the battle . . . it sparked something in her. She felt so comfortable when she was battling.

"I. . . . I want to get stronger," Callie said. "I've always been this really quiet girl, who no one really paid attention to. . . . I just blended into the background, you know? But when Oshawott and I battle together, something clicks and it just comes so naturally. . . . I think Oshawott and I are going on this journey to get stronger, and if we decide later on down the road that we want to collect badges, then we will!"

Wes gave a half smile, shaking his head. "Well, that's a bit disappointing. . . ."

"Disappointing?" Callie echoed. "How so?"

"Well, here I was hoping you'd want to collect badges and get stronger," said Wes with a shrug. "I thought that maybe you and Oshawott would be some competition."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Callie snapped. "Oshawott and I are plenty of competition for you!"

Wes chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. "Oh, okay, if you say so."

Callie narrowed her eyes at him playfully. "Well, as of right now, I'm not changing my mind, but who knows — maybe Oshawott and I will go for badges one day, right, Oshawott?"

"Osha!" Oshawott cheered.

Wes chuckled lightly. "So, I'm assuming you're heading on to Virbank City then?"

"Virbank City? Where's that?"

"You don't know anything, do you?" Wes laughed. "It's at the end of Route 20 — with your bike, you should be able to make it there in no time."

Callie nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I guess if that's the next city, then yeah, that's where I'm headed!"

"Great! Try not to leave too quickly — once I beat Cheren back in Aspertia City, I'm headed to Virbank City to challenge the gym leader there, Roxie, and I want you to get stronger!"

"You want me to get stronger? But why?"

Wes grinned. "So we can finally have that battle!"

"What battle? The only one who ever wanted to battle me was Hugh," Callie muttered.

"Do you remember?I told you before I left the other that I wanted to challenge you once you and your Oshawott had gotten stronger!"

Callie paused, thinking back to it — it felt like so long ago, but it hadn't even been two full days. Recalling that moment, she smiled and nodded. "Oh, right! Well, if you want to battle, then we'll battle — I'll see you in Virbank City."

"Great!" Wes said, heading for the gates of Floccesy Ranch. "I'll see you in a couple days, Callie! Stay safe!"

Callie nodded, waving to him. "Bye, Wes! See you soon! Good luck with your battle with Cheren!"

Wes waved good-bye and turned out of the gates, heading back towards Floccesy Town, and then on to Aspertia City. Callie sighed and looked down at her basket to Oshawott and Zoro, who were both looking back at her.

"Well, what do you guys say? You ready to head on towards Virbank City?" Callie said.

"Zor-Zor!"

"Osha!"

Callie smiled, mounting her bike. "Perfect, then let's get going —"

_"Wait!"_

Callie froze and turned to look over her shoulder and spotted Molly running towards her.

"Molly?" Callie said. "Is everything okay?"

"You can't leave yet!" Molly called out. "You can't leave!"

Molly caught up with Callie, slightly winded, and the young trainer frowned. "Is everything okay? Did I forget something?"

"No, you have everything — well, I mean, I suppose you don't," Molly said.

"I don't? What did I forget?"

Molly said nothing, and instead she stepped to the side and motioned for Callie to look down. Callie did and she froze when she saw, standing before her, none other that Riolu, who was looking up at her with eager eyes.

"Riolu?" Callie echoed. She looked to Molly. "I-I'm afraid I don't understand — what's going on?"

"Riolu wants to go with you, dear," Molly said with a smile. Callie's eyes widened and Molly continued. "It appears that you made quite the impression on him yesterday when you came to his rescue, and then again last night when you visited him in his room."

Callie looked from Molly down to Riolu, who was still looking up at her with wide, bright eyes.

"Is that true, Riolu? Do you want to come with me?" Callie said.

Riolu smiled, giving a stiff nod, and Callie couldn't hold back her smile.

"Well then, welcome to the team, Riolu!"

Callie reached into her bag for a pokéball, but Riolu shook his head. Callie paused and frowned. "But, I thought you said you wanted to come along?"

Riolu nodded and pointed towards Oshawott. "Ri!"

Oshawott perked up and gave a determined smile before nodding in agreement to whatever Riolu said and jumping out of the bicycle basket.

"What's going on?" Callie said.

"Well, it looks like Riolu wants to battle you first," Molly said with a laugh.

Callie smiled and nodded. "Alright, then, if it's a battle you want, Riolu, it's a battle you'll get! Right, Oshawott!"

"Osha!"

"Alright then, Oshawott, use Water Gun!" Callie said.

Oshawott nodded and aimed a powerful Water Gun attack at Riolu, but within the blink of an eye, Riolu disappeared.

"Wow, he's fast!" Callie exclaimed.

"Riolu is strong, that's for sure," said Molly, who was watching from the sidelines. "He's using his Quick Attack, Callie, so be careful!"

"Right!" Callie said with a nod. "Oshawott, watch out for —"

_"Osha!"_

Oshawott was suddenly sent flying as Riolu hit him head on with his Quick Attack. However, Oshawott didn't stay down long, and he quickly got back to his feet, narrowing his eyes at Riolu.

"Are you okay, Oshawott?" Callie called out.

"Osh!" Oshawott said with a firm nod.

"Great! Now, go after Riolu with another Water Gun!"

"Osh!"

Oshawott aimed another Water Gun, and this time, his aim was true, and he hit Riolu dead on, sending the fighting type skidding backwards. Riolu tried to keep his footing against the powerful water gun, but he tripped over his feet and fell on his back.

"Great job! Now, Oshawott, while he's down, hit him with a Tackle attack!" Callie called out.

"Osh!"

Oshawott charged forward, and just as Riolu was propping himself up on his hands, Oshawott lunged forward, tackling Riolu in the stomach. Riolu was pushed back again, and Oshawott jumped over him, landing on his feet. Riolu didn't get up right away, and Callie knew this was it. It was time to throw the pokéball. She pulled the capsule out of her bag and pressed the button, causing the pokéball to grow, and then aimed at Riolu.

"This is it!" Callie said. "Finally! Pokéball! _Go!_"

Callie threw the pokéball and her aim was perfect. Riolu looked up just in time for the pokéball to hit the top of his head, and Callie and Oshawott watched him disappear in a read light into the pokéball. All of them held their breath as they watched the pokéball wiggle back and forth, the button blinking red.

"Come on," Callie whispered. "Come on, Riolu. . . . You want to come with us, right?"

Then, quite suddenly, the pokéball stopped blinking and became totally still. Callie stood there for a moment, staring at the capsule in disbelief. They had done it. They had caught Riolu.

"We caught Riolu," Callie whispered. Then, much louder, she repeated, "We did it, Oshawott! _We caught Riolu!_"

_"Osha!"_

Trainer and pokémon ran towards each other, and Oshawott jumped into Callie's open arms, both of them cheering. Zoro leapt out of the basket and joined them in their celebration, and Callie picked up the pokéball of her newly caught Riolu.

"Riolu, come on out!" Callie exclaimed.

Riolu appeared before them in a red flash, and he looked up at Callie with wide eyes. Callie knelt down in front of him, unable to hide her joy.

"Welcome to the team, Riolu," Callie said.

Riolu smiled, and Callie held her hand out to him. Riolu looked a bit confused and looked down at her hand before looking back up at her.

Callie was still smiling, but her eyes were ablaze, determination clearly written on her face. "I want to make a promise, right here and right now — I promise to always take care of you and protect you, no matter what. I'll never leave you behind, okay? We're in this together, until the very end."

Riolu stared up at her, his eyes wide, once again brimming with tears. However, he hastily wiped his eyes and gave a firm nod, smirking ever so slightly, and he took Callie's hand, the two of them giving a firm handshake. Callie laughed lightly and stood up, looking to Molly.

"Thank you for letting me catch Riolu, Molly," Callie said. "You and Travon will be okay without him?"

"Of course we will," said Molly. "I always had a feeling that this day would come — Riolu couldn't stay here forever. He's always wanted to get stronger, and if he stayed here, he'd never reach his full potential. I knew that eventually, the right trainer for Riolu would come along and give him everything he deserved. I'm just glad that that trainer is you, Callie."

Callie nodded. "Of course! I promised Riolu I'll take care of him, and I'm gonna keep that promise!"

Molly laughed lightly and nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. Now, you'd best get going. I suspect you're off to the next town, Virbank City?"

"Mhmm! We should get there in no time!"

"Great! Well, be safe!" Molly said.

Callie mounted her bike once again, ready to set off. Zoro sat in the basket and Oshawott, tired from his battle with Riolu, was returned to his pokéball. Riolu looked up at Callie, expecting to go in his pokéball, and Callie shook her head.

"How about you ride up here with Zoro?" Callie suggested.

Riolu's eyes widened and he smiled, nodding eagerly, and jumped into the basket, settling in beside Zoro. Callie smiled and she set off on her bike, heading towards Virbank City, now with a Riolu on her team.

"Take care, Callie! Be safe!" Molly called behind her. "Riolu! Take care of Callie! Be strong!"

"Ri-ri!" Riolu called, looking back at Molly as they rode off.

Riolu watched Floccesy Ranch until it finally disappeared from view, his eyes beginning to water ever so slightly. Callie smiled softly at the small pokémon and patted his head gently.

"It's okay, Riolu — we'll come back one day," Callie said.

Riolu looked up at Callie, and then to Zoro, who nodded encouragingly, and then Riolu smiled, giggling gleefully — finally, he had found a place where he belonged.

And so, with a newly caught Riolu, Callie and her pokémon headed off to Virbank City, with no idea what was in store for her. But, for the first time since she had arrived, Callie wasn't scared of the unknown — with Oshawott, Zoro, and now Riolu, she knew that she could handle anything that would come her way.


	4. Making Amends!

Chapter Four

By five o'clock that evening, Callie found herself pulling up to the Pokémon Center in Virbank City. Zoro and Riolu were sleeping peacefully in the basket — they had taken their time to get to Virbank City, stopping to rest and explore as they went, since they weren't in any particular hurry. Callie parked her bike in front of the Pokémon Center, returned Riolu to his pokéball, and she took the sleeping Zoro in her arms.

"You're so tired lately," she muttered to the sleeping fox pokémon as she made her way to the door of the Pokémon Center. "I suppose this is a more relaxing time period for you to live in, huh?"

However, before she could step into the Pokémon Center, she heard shouting coming from inside, and she paused and watched as two people came charging out of the Pokémon Center, caught up in a very dramatic shouting match. One was a man, who appeared to be a sailor based on his uniform, with brown hair and a mustache to match. The person he was arguing with was a young girl, perhaps a few years older than Callie. She had pale skin and stark white hair with bright blue eyes, and she wore an oversized blue and purple stripped sweatshirt. She was looking at the man in annoyed disbelief, her arms crossed firmly over her chest.

"Roxie, don't try to stop me! I'm off to the Pokéstar Studios to live up my true potential! My dream is to be a ship captain and a movie star," the man said dreamily, clasping his hands together.

The girl — Roxie — narrowed her eyes at him, her jaw clenched.

"Get real! You're a captain already, aren't you? If that ship doesn't move, you're going to cause lots of trouble!" Roxie snapped.

"Oh, dear daughter. You split your time between your responsibilities as a Gym Leader and with your band, right? I can do that, too!" said the man.

Roxie looked as if she were about to explode. "AAAAAAH! You dim-witted . . . dense . . . dumb . . . daft . . . dippy . . . dorky . . . doltish _doofus_! Doing double duty isn't the problem! You're causing problems for people! Keeping people from getting where they're going because of sheer selfishness is unforgivable! I've _had_ it!"

The man stood there for a moment, staring at Roxie with wide eyes — it appeared as if her words had taken some sort of effect on him. His bubbly attitude suddenly vanished, and he looked at her with much less energy than before.

"Well then, if that's how you feel. . . . Then I'm sorry I ever told you," he said quietly. "I thought maybe you'd. . . . Never mind."

Then the man turned, walking past Callie, not giving her a moment's notice. Roxie frowned softly as she watched him walk away, as if she wanted to stop him, but she quickly shook her head, frustration returning to her face.

"Fine! Go be a movie star! You won't be a captain for much longer!" Roxie called after him. Then she noticed Callie standing there watching her.

"What are you looking at?" snapped Roxie.

Callie stood there awkwardly. "Er — that guy . . . he's your dad?"

"Yeah, so?" snapped Roxie. "What's it to you?"

"O-oh, well, I mean, m-maybe you should be, erm, I dunno, a bit easier on him?" Callie said gently. "He seemed to really care about what you thought."

Roxie paused, crossing her arms over her chest, sighing in an annoyed manner. "Ugh, yeah, maybe I was a bit harsh on him, but. . . . Oh, I don't know! He's a captain, y'know? He has responsibilities that come before trying to be a movie star!"

"Didn't he say you're a gym leader and in a band?" Callie said

Roxie nodded. "Yeah, that's right — I run the Virbank City Gym."

"Well, I mean, if you can do both, then maybe —"

"No, it's different," she snapped. "My gym is also my stage!"

"W-what do you mean?"

Roxie smirked softly. "How about you swing by tomorrow night? My band and I are playing, and I'll show you what I mean."

Then, she pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Callie. She took it in her hand, shifting Zorua to one arm, and opened the paper. It was a brightly colored flyer with a purple pokémon on it, and the words 'Rock Out With Roxie!' were printed in large, neon yellow letters. Callie looked at Roxie, who was grinning down at her.

"So, will I see you there?" Roxie said.

Callie nodded eagerly. "Y-yeah! I'll be there!"

Roxie smirked, obviously amused. "I like your energy, kid. What's your name?"

"Oh, I-I'm Callie," the young trainer said, smiling lightly.

"Well, Callie, my name is Roxie — can't wait to see you tomorrow night! I'm excited to see what you're made of!"

"Made of? What do you —"

But it was too late. Roxie turned on her heel and took off in the opposite direction, quickly turning a corner and disappearing from sight. Callie watched her go and sighed softly, shaking her head.

"Well, she's definitely something else," she muttered to herself. She was just about to step into the Pokémon Center when the Xtransceiver on her wrist began ringing. Callie paused and looked down at it and saw Bianca was calling her.

Balancing her belongings in her arms, Callie managed to answer the Xtransceiver. Bianca's smiling face appeared on the screen.

"Er — hello?"

"Hi, Callie! It's Bianca! Where are you right now?" Bianca said cheerily.

"We just made it to Virbank City, actually," Callie said with a smile.

"Wow, Virbank City! There's a complex there, right? Have you been there yet?"

"A complex?" Callie echoed. "No, I haven't. Like I said, we just got here."

"Well, you should definitely go if you get the chance! That way it looks at night is really quite nice! And your can also train your pokémon there! Speaking of which, have you caught any pokémon?" Bianca said curiously.

Callie nodded. "I sure have! I caught a Riolu at Floccesy Ranch!"

"A Riolu?" Bianca gasped. "Those are super rare! When did you catch it?"

"This morning, actually," Callie said with a smile. "I saved him from Team Plasma!"

Bianca's face faltered ever so slightly at the mention of Team Plasma's name. "Team Plasma?" She said softly.

Callie raised an eyebrow. "Bianca, do you know Team Plasma?"

Suddenly, Bianca began laughing nervously, forcing a smile. "Hm? O-oh, no, it's nothing! So, did you battle Cheren yet?"

"Cheren?" Callie said, not bothering to point out her obvious attempt to change the subject. "Oh, you mean the gym leader in Aspertia City? No, I'm afraid I didn't get the chance. Wes and Hugh both headed back that way to battle him though!"

"What? You didn't battle Cheren? Are you not planning on collecting badges?" said Bianca.

"Erm, I don't know," Callie said sheepishly. "I mean, the more I think about it, it does sound kind of fun, battling gym leaders and getting stronger, but I don't want to back track all the way to Aspertia City. . . ."

Bianca smiled softly. "Well, do you plan on being in Virbank City for a couple days?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess so — Wes asked me to wait for him before leaving Virbank City," Callie said.

Bianca nodded. "Perfect! Then I think I may be able to pull a few strings!"

"Pull a few strings?" Callie echoed. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you'll see!" sang Bianca. "Well, Callie, I've got to get going! Promise me you'll check out Virbank Complex! Try to go at night!"

"Okay, I'll try," Callie said with a laugh.

"Great! Talk to you soon!"

And with that, Bianca hung up. Callie sighed, shaking her head ever so slightly — Bianca was as energetic as ever, that's for sure. But she couldn't help but wonder why Bianca had gotten so serious when she mentioned Team Plasma. . . .

"That's a question for another day, I guess," Callie muttered to herself.

Putting that thought behind her, Callie stepped through the doors of the Pokémon Center and was immediately greeted by Nurse Joy.

"Welcome to the Pokémon Center!" Nurse Joy said with a smile.

"Nurse Joy!" Callie said excitedly, running to the front desk. "It's so nice to see you! But. . . . Who's watching the Pokémon Center in Aspertia City?"

"Hm?" Nurse Joy said curiously, tilting her head to the side. Then, a look of realization dawned her face and she laughed lightly. "Oh! I see! You must be mistaking me for the Nurse Joy in Aspertia City! She's my second cousin!"

"Second cousin?" Callie said with wide eyes. "But you two are identical!"

Nurse Joy giggled. "Oh, well, you see, all the Nurse Joy's across Unova look alike! See?"

She motioned to a photo sitting on the counter, neatly framed. Callie examined it and nearly dropped Zorua in surprise — sure enough, at least a dozen Nurse Joy's were posed in the photo, each one undistinguishable from the others.

"I-I can't believe it," Callie muttered. "Incredible. . . ."

Nurse Joy nodded. "A lot of people are thrown off by it, don't worry. Now, how can I help you this evening?"

"I was actually just hoping to get a room for the night," said Callie. "We just came from Floccesy Ranch today!"

"Sounds like a fun day," said Nurse Joy with a smile. "It just so happens I have plenty of open rooms — how about I have Audino show you to your room?"

"I would love that!"

Soon enough, Callie had been shown to her room, and she laid Zoro down on the bed, and he stirred ever so slightly before opening his eyes and letting out a large yawn, blinking up at Callie.

"Well hello there, sunshine," Callie said with a giggle. "Someone's been awfully sleepy today."

"Zor. . . ," Zoro groaned as he sniffled another yawn.

"I guess the time travel took a lot out of you, huh?" Callie said, sitting down on the bed beside him. Zoro nodded and sat up some, looking very tired. "Well, I guess I'm not really surprised — I'm pretty exhausted myself. . . . I kind of want to just go to sleep, but I promised Bianca we'd go check out the Virbank Complex. . . . And I don't even know where that is."

"Zor zor. . . ." Zoro muttered, looking rather disinterested in the thought of going on another adventure that day.

"Well, if you want, I guess you could stay here," Callie offered.

Zoro looked at Callie with wide eyes, surprised she'd even suggest such a thing. Callie smiled softly and patted his head.

"Don't worry about me — I have Oshawott and Riolu now! I'll be okay, I promise," Callie said reassuringly. "I don't always need you to protect me, Zoro. I have other pokémon now!"

Zoro's eyes widened briefly and a scowl settled on his face. "Zor, Zorua," Zoro said quietly, obviously upset with what Callie had said.

Callie laughed ever so slightly, shaking her head, oblivious to Zoro's sour attitude. "I promise, I'll be okay, Zorua. You stay here — I want to go check out the city, maybe even stop by the Virbank Complex and look around. Bianca said it's pretty cool at night. I'll swing by before I go and see if you feel up to coming, okay?"

Zoro paused to think about it for amount before giving a soft nod. Callie smiled softly and slid off the bed, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

"Alright, Zoro! I'll be back in a bit," Callie said before walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.

Callie made her way out of the Pokémon Center, waving to Nurse Joy and Audino as she left. She pulled out the town map from her bag and opened it and watched as the screen flickered to life.

"Alright, well, maybe I should do some shopping. . . . I should grab some more potions, maybe some berries if they have any for sale. . . . Oh, great! The PokéMart is only a block away!" Callie said with a smile as she spotted the PokéMart on the town map.

So, following her digital map, Callie made her way through Virbank City on foot, leaving her bike at the Pokémon Center. She made sure to stay out of people's way, but she took in the view of the city as she went — it was a bit dirtier than Aspertia City, graffiti spread sporadically on the walls of the city. Water ways ran all throughout the city, and the smell of sea water lingered in the air, which was something familiar to Callie. She and her mother never left Castelia City due to the fact that Team Plasma made traveling just short of impossible, so whenever they wanted to do something fun, her mother would take her down to the docks of Castelia City and they'd look out over the water, but they weren't allowed in; Team Plasma was afraid people would find pokémon if they got in the water, so swimming was outlawed.

Soon enough, Callie had made her way to the PokéMart and she stepped inside, surprised to find she was the only one in there.

"Hello there," called the elderly man from behind the counter. "Doing some shopping?"

"Mhmm!" Callie replied, walking towards the aisle labeled 'medicine'. "I figured I'd stock up on potions — I just started my journey, so I'm trying to be as prepared as possible!"

"Oh, you're just starting your journey, eh?" said the man, walking out from behind the counter. "Well, let me see. . . . Hm, yes, these are good potions right here, not too terribly expensive. . . . You should probably get some berries too; they come in handy, and they're light weight, so they won't weigh you down."

The man showed her an array of berries, and Callie's eyes widened — she had known of maybe a handful of different berries, but displayed in front of her were nearly two dozen different berries, all varying in shape, size, and color.

"Oh wow," Callie gasped. "There's so many. . . . Do they do different things, or are they all the same?"

The man laughed. "Well, some do have similar benefits, but they're all different. Cherri berries help cure paralysis, Chesto berries cure pokémon put to sleep by a move like Yawn. . . . Oh, here's a Pecha berry, especially helpful when you're dealing with a poisoned pokémon, and then there's a Rawst berry, which can be made into a paste and help with burns. . . ."

"Wow, that's a lot to remember," Callie said as she held a Pecha berry in one hand and a Cheri berry in the other.

"Oh, no worries, I think I have a book behind the counter that lists all the different kind of berries and their benefits. . . . Here, take a couple of these, maybe a few Oran berries. . . . Yes, yes, alright, that should be just fine," said the man, placing an assortment of two dozen berries into a basket. "Now, this should just about cover everything you need. . . . Was there anything else in particular you were looking for?"

Callie smiled. "No, that covers it — thank you so much for all your help!"

"Ah! Of course, I'm happy to help," said the man as he carried the basket to the counter, Callie following him. He began ringing her up, and he reached under the counter and pulled out a small container and a booklet.

"Now, this container here is for your berries," he said, packing the berries into the box. "And this book lists all the different berries you can find in the Unova region."

"Find?" echoed Callie. "They grow wild around here?"

"They sure do," said the man with a nod. "Yes, you can find trees and bushes all around the Unova region with different berries growing on them. This book here should help you figure out what they are and if they're safe for your pokémon."

"Thanks a lot!" Callie said excitedly, taking the book and flipping through the pages before tucking it away. She looked back to the shop owner, who had just finished packing away her berries. "So, how much is everything going to come to?"

"Well, how about you just pay for the potions, hm?" he said, pushing the berries and potions across the counter towards her. "Consider everything else a good luck present from myself."

"W-whoa, you can't be serious!" Callie said with wide eyes, staring at the bounty of berries. "Are you sure?"

"I insist!" said the man with a laugh. "I love seeing trainers come through when they first start their journey! It doesn't happen too often, so when they find their way in here, I make sure to give them a parting gift!"

"I can't thank you enough!" Callie said, tucking everything into her bag and paying for the potions. Once she was situated, she smiled at him. "Well, I suppose I should get going! I wanted to stop by the Virbank Complex and check out what kind of pokémon they have there!"

"Oh, before you go, I have one more thing for you!" said the man, reaching down below.

He pulled out a small tray that held a wide variety of pokéballs — there were pink ones, black ones, blue ones — almost any color imaginable.

"Wow, those are pokéballs?" Callie said with wide eyes. "I've never seen anything like them!"

The man chuckled and nodded. "Yes, they're quite something, aren't they? Why don't you go ahead and pick two — one last gift."

"Oh, I-I can't do that," Callie said. "You've already done so much!"

"Come now, I don't mind!" he said. "I love getting the chance to help trainers out on their journey!"

Callie smiled lightly and nodded. "Okay, well. . . . I'll take this one" — she picked up a pink pokéball that had a white circle on the front with a thin blue line running across the middle — "and. . . . This one looks pretty cool, so I'll take this one —" Callie took a green and black pokéball in the other hand.

"Good choices!" said the shop owner. "That pink one there is a Heal Ball! It restores the caught Pokémon to complete health, so it's helpful if you want to use a newly caught pokémon immediately. The other one is a Dusk Ball. It's an effective pokéball, but it works even better at night, or in dark places like a cave!"

"Wow," Callie said with wide eyes, looking down at the pokéballs in her hands. "This is so cool! Thank you!"

"Just remember to use them wisely!" he said with a smile.

"I will! Of course! Thank you!" Callie said excitedly, clipping the empty pokéballs to her belt and heading for the door. "Thanks again!"

With a fleeting wave, Callie left the PokéMart, heading straight for the Pokémon Center. She wanted to eat dinner and then head to the complex. So, when she returned to the Pokémon Center, she took Zoro, Oshawott, and Riolu to the cafeteria for dinner. The four of them sat at a table together, all of them eating their dinner happily while Callie talked about their plans for after dinner.

"Alright, so I'm thinking we'll go to the Virbank Complex after dinner! How does that sound to you guys?" Callie said with a smile. "We can go train and get stronger! It'll be a lot of fun!"

"Osha!"

"Ri-ri!"

"I can't wait, you guys!" Callie said to Oshawott and Riolu. "We're gonna get so strong! I can't believe how lucky I am to have pokémon like you. . . . I never thought this would happen to me, not in a million years. Isn't this cool, Zoro?"

"Zor. . . ."

"Oshawott!"

"Rio!"

Oshawott and Riolu seemed to agree, but Zoro appeared as if he didn't care whether or not Oshawott and Riolu were there. Callie stopped eating and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Zoro? What's wrong?" Callie said softly.

Zoro narrowed his eyes at Callie but said nothing, just taking a begrudgingly bite out of his food. Callie frowned.

"Zoro, come on, something's bothering you, what is it?" Callie pressed.

Zoro growled lowly at Callie. "Zor! Zoro! Zor! Zorua!"

Zoro looked very upset and he suddenly stood from the table and took off, heading for the doors of the Pokémon Center. As he neared them, a trainer was walking into the center and the doors opened, allowing Zoro to run straight through them, into the streets of Virbank City.

"What — Zoro! Where are you going?" Callie exclaimed, jumping from her seat to follow after him, Oshawott and Riolu right behind her. However, when she made it to the door, she saw no trace of Zoro. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat and she whipped around.

"Oshawott! Riolu! We have to find Zoro!" Callie said quickly to her two pokémon. "Why would he have done something like this?"

"Well, I can probably tell you," said a voice. Callie paused and looked up and saw Nurse Joy watching her with a concerned expression.

"Nurse Joy, what do you mean?" Callie said, walking over to the counter. "Why was Zoro so upset?"

"Well, it seems to me that your Zorua is jealous of your pokémon," said Nurse Joy.

Callie's eyes widened. "Jealous? But why would Zoro be jealous?"

"Well, you're a new trainer, right? Was Zorua your first pokémon?" Nurse Joy said.

Callie shook her head. "Er — no, Zoro is just my friend. Oshawott here is my first pokémon — I just got him a few days ago, and I just caught Riolu this morning."

"Zorua isn't your pokémon? Well, how long have you two been friends?" said Nurse Joy.

"Well, almost as long as I can remember," muttered Callie, thinking back to the first time she met Zoro.

_She was in elementary school, only seven years old. It was her first time walking home from school by herself, after months of trying to convince her mother that she was a big girl, she could make it home without her mom there to hold her hand. So, after school, she set off on her way home, but soon found herself terribly lost on the bad side of the city. It was getting late and Callie was growing very scared, and she soon found herself sitting on the sidewalk, crying into her hands._

_Then, suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder, and she looked up and saw a boy standing there, looking down at her. He was older then her, though he wasn't too much taller than her, and he had short black hair. He had a slender frame, which looked even thinner due to the baggy clothes he wore. The boy looked down at Callie, smiling softly, and knelt down, wiping the tears off her face._

_Callie sniffled and whimpered, pulling away from him. The boy frowned slightly, tilting his head to the side._

_"Zor?"_

_"M-mommy says I'm not supposed to be 'round strangers," she said, trying to get up._

_The boy smiled and shook his head. Callie paused._

_"You're a stranger though," she said. "I can't be 'round you. I gotta go home."_

_Callie stood up, looking around. "Gotta go home," she muttered to herself, forgetting the boy was still standing there. "But. . . . Where's home?"_

_Tears brimmed her eyes again as she stood there, unsure of where to go._

_"Zoro."_

_Callie stopped and looked back at the boy, who was smiling sweetly at her._

_"W-what'd you say?" Callie whispered._

_"Zoro."_

_"Zoro?" Callie echoed. "What's that? Your name?"_

_The boy nodded eagerly and repeated, "Zoro!"_

_Callie smiled ever so slightly and giggled. "Zoro? Well, I-I'm Callie, Zoro!"_

_"Zoro!"_

_Callie laughed again, her tears vanishing. "That's a funny name, Zoro!" Then she stopped and her eyes widened. "Wait a minute! I know your name! You're Zoro! That means you're not a stranger anymore, right?"_

_"Zor! Zor!" Zoro said, nodding eagerly._

_"Well, Zoro, then maybe you can help. I-I'm lost, and I can't find my way home," Callie said softly. "I want to get home though, because my mommy is probably really worried about me by now. So. . . . Can you help me get home?"_

_Zoro smiled softly and nodded, holding his hand out to Callie. "Zor!"_

_Callie laughed happily and took his hand, holding on to it tightly, and she and Zoro began their way to her house. It didn't take Zoro long to figure out where Callie lived — she explained different landmarks and things by her house, and in no time, she was standing on her street, her house in sight. From the end of the street, they could see her mother pacing on the front porch, obviously worried that she wasn't home yet._

_"That's my house!" Callie cried. "That's my mommy! Oh, thank you, Zoro!"_

_Callie threw her arms around the boy's waist, and Zoro smiled, patting her head._

_"Thank you so much, Zoro! Do you wanna come meet my mom?" Callie said curiously._

_Zoro shook his head and motioned for Callie to hurry home. She detached herself from his waist and watched as the boy turned and began to walk away. As he turned, she noticed a fluffy tail sticking out from under his shirt. Her eyes widened and she watched, mesmerized, as he walked away. However, before he could turn the corner, Callie had a request._

_"Wait! Zoro!" Callie called out, running after him._

_Before he could turn towards her, Callie reached out and seized his tail. The moment her tiny fingers locked around the fur of his tail, the boy suddenly curled in a ball and was surrounded by a bright pink light. Callie instantly released her grasp on him and stumbled backwards, tripping over her feet and falling backwards. She sat there on the ground, dazed and confused, and watched as the light faded. Zoro was no longer there, and standing there in his place was a small, slate grey, fox-like pokémon._

_"Z-Zoro?" Callie gasped._

_Zoro stared at Callie with wide eyes and slowly nodded._

_"A-are you a . . . pokémon?" Callie whispered._

_Zoro nodded._

_Callie sat there, shocked — she knew that being around pokémon was bad, her mother told her that, and that's what they taught her in school. If she ever spotted a pokémon, she was supposed to report it, and Team Plasma would come get it. But for some reason, she didn't want to report Zoro to Team Plasma. He had helped her after all. . . . _

_Callie suddenly smiled and reached out, petting Zoro's head. "I-I just wanted to say thank you, Zoro, and I wanted to know. . . . Can you walk me home tomorrow, too?"_

_Zoro's face brightened and he smiled, nodding eagerly, and Callie giggled, getting to her feet._

_"Yay! I can't wait!" Callie exclaimed. _

_Zoro turned into a spinning pink ball again, and suddenly, the same boy from earlier was standing there, smiling at her. He helped her to her feet and Callie laughed, waving goodbye before she headed towards her home._

_"I'll see you tomorrow, Zoro!" Callie called over her shoulder before running home._

_The moment she stepped into her yard, her mother looked up, her eyes wide and face creased with worry._

_"Oh! Callie! There you are!" her mother cried, running towards her. She scooped her daughter up in her arms. "Oh, where have you been?"_

_"I was with my friend Zoro, mommy! I'm sorry I worried you," Callie said softly. "It won't happen again."_

_"Oh, I should hope not," her mother scolded. Then, her face softened and she smiled, holding her daughter close. "Oh. . . . I'm just glad you're home. . . ."_

Callie shook her head, her thoughts lingering. That had been the start of her friendship with Zoro. Since that day, he had always been there for Callie when she really needed him. . . . She blinked quickly and looked up, focusing back on Nurse Joy.

"Zoro's always been there for me, he's always taken care of me," she muttered quietly. She thought back to the conversation she had with him earlier, right before she left for the PokéMart.

_'I don't always need you to protect me, Zoro. I have other pokémon now!'_

Callie's eyes widened. "Oh no. . . . Nurse Joy, I think you're right. . . . Not only is he jealous, but I think I really hurt his feelings! I have to find him!"

She looked back to Riolu and Oshawott, who were staring up at her with wide eyes.

"Oshawott, Riolu, we've got to find Zoro! Can either of you pick up in his scent?"

Oshawott sniffed the air but shook his head, his nose not strong enough to pick up on Zoro's scent. However, instead of sniffing the air, Riolu closed his eyes, and suddenly, the appendages on his head rose in the air as his face scrunched up, as if he were focusing very hard.

"Riolu? What are you doing?" Callie muttered.

"It looks like Riolu is trying to pick up on Zoro's aura!" Nurse Joy said.

Callie's eyes widened. "Zoro's . . . aura?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "Riolu can communicate through auras, and, if it's strong enough, it can even sense another pokémon's or person's aura and track them down. You must have a very tough Riolu if it's able to do that."

Callie looked from Nurse Joy to Riolu and watched as the appendages on its head suddenly fell and his eyes shot open.

"Ri! Riolu!"

"I think your Riolu locked on to Zorua's aura," said Nurse Joy.

Callie nodded and looked at Riolu.

"Alright, Riolu, lead the way! We need to find Zoro," Callie said.

Riolu nodded and headed towards the door, and Oshawott jumped onto Callie's shoulder as she followed after the fighting-type pokémon. The three of them left the Pokémon Center and headed south, narrowly avoiding other passerby's as they went. Riolu would close his eyes occasionally, as if trying to zero in on Zoro's aura, but he continued to run, moving like he could see where he was going even with his eyes shut.

"Zoro," Callie muttered to herself as she ran. "I'm so sorry. . . ."

Riolu led them south, but they soon came to a sudden halt outside a set of wrought iron gates. Callie looked up at the sign that hung above the gates and saw it read 'Virbank Complex'. The gates were open, and beyond them looked to be a construction site.

"This is the Virbank Complex, huh?" Callie muttered. She looked at Riolu, who stared back at her. "Riolu, are you sure Zoro is in there?"

"Ri!" Riolu said with a stiff nod.

Callie nodded and straightened her shoulders.

"Alright, well, let's go; we've got to find him," she muttered, and they pressed forward.

Inside the gates, Callie caught a glimpse of a few construction workers, none of which paid her any attention. They were all talking wildly to one another and making quite a commotion.

"I wonder what has them all worked up," she muttered to herself.

"Just some wild pokémon," growled someone behind her. "What are you doing here, kid?"

Callie jumped, slightly startled, and she quickly turned around and saw a middle aged man standing there, looking rather fed up.

"I-I'm sorry," Callie said quickly. "I-I was told this place was open to the public."

The man let out a low chuckle. "You're right about that, it is. That's why I asked what you were doing here? Training?"

"Looking for a friend, actually," Callie muttered. "Why?"

"Well, I saw your pokémon there and was hoping you were a pokémon trainer," he sighed.

"O-oh, I am," Callie said.

"Really? Then, how about doing me a favor," said the man.

"A favor?" Callie echoed. "Like what?"

"Well, you see, I'm the project manager over here, and those guys over there, the rowdy ones? Those are my workers. Well, they've all been battling this wild Growlithe, taking turns beating it up, and they won't work. I was hoping maybe you could battle them and win, and then maybe they'd get back to work."

"They're all teaming up on one pokémon?" Callie said, looking over her shoulder — there were three men over there. . . . "Is that really fair?"

"It's none of my business if it's fair or not," said the man. "Besides, if Growlithe didn't want to battle, it would run away, but the damn thing is stubborn, it won't stop battling."

Callie frowned. "That can't be good for the Growlithe. . . . You said you want me to battle the three of them over there?"

"Mhmm," said the man with a nod. "Just battle them and win, and I'll have something nice for ya' — for your troubles."

Callie nodded half heartedly, not particularly worried about getting anything in return; she was more worried about this Growlithe. Oshawott jumped off Callie's shoulder and joined Riolu on the ground, and she looked down at the two of them.

"Well, you two, let's go make sure that Growlithe is okay, and then we'll find Zoro, okay?" Callie said.

The two pokémon nodded and they quickly ran over to the group of men.

"Alright, guys, your boss over there says it's time for you to get back to work," Callie said.

The three men stopped talking and they turned to face her, and she saw three pokémon accompanying the men, none of which she recognized. However, she looked past them, and it was then that she got a glimpse of the pokémon they were battling — their boss had called it a Growlithe. It was a canine-like pokémon, and it was bright orange with black stripes, and a cream colored tail and chest. The Growlithe stood before them, obviously in no condition to battle; it was beaten and battered, gashes all over its body. It looked completely worn out, pushed way beyond its limit, and yet it was standing there, shaking from pain and exhaustion, willing to continue to battle.

"What do you want, you little squirt?" snapped one man.

However, Callie said nothing and she pushed through them, running to the Growlithe.

"How could you do such a thing to this pokémon?" Callie exclaimed, kneeling in front of the Growlithe.

However, the Growlithe glared at Callie, growling lowly and snapping at her. Callie quickly pulled away from it, her eyes wide.

"B-but, Growlithe, you're in no condition to fight. . . ," She muttered.

One of them men laughed behind her. "Don't you see? This dumb Growlithe doesn't know when to quit! So, if it wants to battle and lose, then so be it! We have no problem beating a wimpy pokémon like that!"

Callie glared at the three men and their pokémon and stood up, putting herself between them and Growlithe.

"Well, I was going to just tell you your boss wanted you to get back to work, but I guess I'll have to teach you three a lesson for treating a pokémon like this," Callie growled, a sudden anger sparking inside her — how could anyone do this to a pokémon?

"Ha! You think your puny Oshawott and Riolu stand a chance against our three pokémon?" laughed one of the men.

Callie held her breath — she was definitely out numbered, for sure, but maybe they had a chance. She reached for her bag, hoping to grab for her pokédex so she could learn about the pokémon in front of her, but she quickly realized she didn't bring her bag; in her hurry to go after Zoro, she left her bag at the table.

"Oh no, I don't have my PokéDex," she muttered. "I-I don't know those pokémon!"

The three men all laughed wildly. One of them, the largest of the group, was able to choke out a few words.

"Oh man, you want to battle us and you don't even know what pokémon we've got?" he laughed. "Well, girly, my name is Mitchell, and this here is my Elekid!"

He motioned to a yellow, round-bodied Pokémon with black stripes. Its arms were bulky in proportion to its body, and it had three claws but no fingers. There were two horns onto of its head, which resembled the prongs of a plug, complete with holes in their sides.

"My name is Nathan!" said one of the other men. "And this is my Magby!"

The pokémon he pointed to was a bipedal Pokémon that had a red body with a yellow, flame-shaped marking on its stomach. Its head was covered with large lumps, and it had a rounded, yellow beak.

"And I'm Isaac, and this is my buddy, Koffing!" said the last man.

The last pokémon was the same pokémon that had been on the flyer Roxie had handed her earlier that day outside of the Pokémon Center. It was a spherical Pokémon with vacant eyes and a wide mouth, and below its face was a cream-colored skull-and-crossbones marking, which contrasted against its purple body.

"I see," Callie muttered, looking at the three pokémon before her. If she had to guess, Elekid was probably an electric type, Magby looked to be a fire-type, and Koffing was perhaps a. . . . Poison-type? Unfortunately for her though, she didn't know any of Elekid's or Koffing's weakness, and she didn't have Dexter to help her out with this battle.

"Well, Riolu, Oshawott, it looks like it's just us for this battle," she muttered, stealing a glance back at Growlithe, who glared sharply up at her. "We've got to protect this Growlithe, okay?"

"Osh!"

"Ri-ri!"

"Sorry little girl, but you're way out of your league," laughed Nathan. "Magby, use Flamethrower!"

"Oshawott, counter it with Water Gun!" Callie called.

Magby's chest swelled as it took a deep breath before releasing a great Flamethrower. However, Oshawott was fast and he let forth a powerful Water Gun attack, and the two moves met, creating a large burst of steam as both moves began to fizzle out. Magby's Flamethrower attack died down, obviously tired from all the battling it had previously done with Growlithe. However, Oshawott was rested and ready to go, and his Water Gun attack shot through the cloud of steam and hit Magby head on, sending it flying backward. Magby crashed into the ground before its trainer, unconscious.

"Hey, no fair!" yelled Nathan, kneeling beside his Magby. "It's still tired from battling Growlithe!"

"Good job, Oshawott!" Callie cheered.

"Ha, you won't be cheering for long," sneered Mitchell. "Elekid, use Thunder on Oshawott!"

"Koffing, Sludge Bomb!" called Issac.

"Oshawott, watch out!" Callie called out.

However, the pokémon were too fast, and before Oshawott could even move, Elekid's Thunder attack hit him head on, and Oshawott cried out, flying backwards as the electric attack faded. Koffing's Sludge Bomb attack was nearing the defenseless water-type, and Callie was panicking.

"Er — Riolu, you've got to stop the Sludge Bomb! Protect Oshawott!" Callie cried.

"Ri!"

Riolu jumped backwards, snatching up Oshawott, watching the large glob of brown sludge coming near them. Suddenly, his eyes began glowing green, and he jumped to the side, easily dodging the attack.

"Ri-Riolu?" Callie gasped, watching his eyes.

"Er — Koffing! Keep up the Sludge Bomb!" Issac directed.

Koffing began letting out consecutive Sludge Bombs, aiming straight at Riolu and Oshawott, but Riolu continued to watch each attack with his glowing green eyes, easily dodging the attacks. However, after dodging nearly a dozen of the Sludge Bombs, the green glow in Riolu's eyes faded and he stood there, stunned, staring blankly into space while another Sludge Bomb came barreling towards them.

"Riolu? What's happening? Move!" Callie called out.

However, it was as if Riolu was in a trance, and the Sludge Bomb hit him and Oshawott point blank, and it exploded on impact.

"No! Riolu! Oshawott!" Callie shouted.

"Ha! Looks like your Riolu's Detect just couldn't hold up against my Koffing!" Issac laughed.

"Riolu! Oshawott, are you okay?" Callie said, watching the smoke clear. Riolu was on the ground, pushing himself up, but Oshawott laid there, knocked out, unable to battle.

"Oh, Oshawott," Callie whispered, pulling out his pokéball. "Return, Oshawott!"

Oshawott was returned to his pokéball, and Callie looked at the capsule, forcing a smile. "You did great out there, Oshawott. You deserve a nice long rest."

Then, straightening her shoulders, Callie looked to Riolu, who was standing and ready for battle, awaiting direction.

"Alright, Riolu, it's just you and me now," Callie said.

She glanced behind her to see how Growlithe was holding up, and she saw it was watching the battle with great interest, and it even looked a bit impressed. However, when it saw her gaze, Growlithe glared up at her, snarling lowly.

Callie sighed and faced the front, staring down Issac and Mitchell. "Alright, you two, you've done it now. Riolu and I are gonna win this, for Oshawott and for Growlithe! Isn't that right, Riolu?"

"Ri-ri!" Riolu said with a nod.

"You're just as stubborn as that Growlithe!" laughed Mitchell. "And you're gonna go down just as easy! Elekid, give 'em another Thunder!"

"Riolu! Use Detect!" Callie called out.

Elekid ramped up another Thunder attack, this one seemingly more powerful than the last, and shot it directly at Riolu. However, Riolu was ready, his eyes glowing green again, and he did a back flip, easily dodging the attack.

"Again, Elekid!" growled Mitchell.

"Keep it up, Riolu!" Callie directed.

"Koffing, give Elekid a hand — try Sludge Bomb again!" Issac said.

It was like watching some kind of carefully choreographed dance; Riolu flipped, spun, and jumped flawlessly around the field, green eyes glowing, dodging each attack perfectly. It was apparent it was taking a toll o Koffing and Elekid, who continued to attack, quickly growing weary as they tried, but failed, to land a hit on Riolu.

"Come on," Mitchell sneered. "Er. . . . Elekid! Thunder Punch!"

"Ele!"

Elekid's Thunder attack suddenly stopped and he leapt into the air, high above Riolu, whose back was turned to it as he dodged yet another Sludge Bomb.

"Riolu! Watch out! Behind you!" Callie cried.

Riolu froze, the green glow fading once again, leaving Riolu in the same trance-like state as before. He didn't look over his shoulder as Elekid came down on him, its fist crackling with electricity.

"Riolu! Snap out of it!" Callie shouted. "Come on! Get out of there!"

"Ri?" Riolu said, shaking his head and snapping itself out of whatever trance he was in.

He suddenly looked up and saw that Elekid was close. Elekid reared its fist back, ready to strike Riolu, but Riolu jumped backwards quickly and suddenly dove straight towards the ground, headfirst, and disappeared in a cloud of dust. Elekid's fist struck the ground, causing a small explosion and sending Elekid skidding backwards, and it struggled to see through the dirt and dust.

"Riolu?" Callie said, peering around. "Where are you?"

The dust settled and the field cleared, there was a large hole in the ground, right where Riolu had disappeared.

"Riolu used. . . . Dig?" Callie whispered. "Wow. . . . Awesome!"

"So you thought!" Mitchell said with a smile. "Elekid, use Thunder on that hole and draw Riolu out!"

"Elekid!"

"Help it out, Koffing! Use Smog!" Issac called.

"Riolu! Quick! Use Dig and take out Koffing!" Callie exclaimed — if she could make this a one-on-one battle, they had a better chance.

Elekid released a Thunder attack into the hole just as Riolu erupted from the ground right beneath Koffing, hitting it head on. Koffing was sent flying backwards and crashing into the ground, knocked out.

"Erg! That was super effective," growled Issac, returning his Koffing. "Ground-type moves are always strong against Poison-types. . . ."

"Great job, Riolu!" Callie called out.

"Ah, but it's not over yet," said Mitchell with a smirk.

Callie's eyes widened. "Wha —"

Before she could do anything, she watched Elekid's Thunder attack come shooting out of the hole Riolu had just emerged from, consuming Riolu with a powerful electric attack.

_"Ri!"_ Riolu cried out.

"No! Riolu!" Callie yelled, horrified.

She watched as Riolu collapsed to the ground, knocked out. Callie grabbed his pokéball.

"Riolu, return!" Callie called, returning the small fighting-type. She looked down at the pokéball on her belt. "You did an amazing job, Riolu, thank you."

She looked back to Mitchell, who stood there, smiling triumphantly at her, his Elekid crossing its arms over its chest.

"Well, come on, send out your next pokémon," said Mitchell. "I love beating up bratty kids like you!"

"I don't have anymore pokémon," said Callie. "But look, you had your battle, so why don't you all just go back to work?"

Mitchell shook his head. "I'm afraid not! That battle just got me and Elekid warmed up! But if you don't have anymore pokémon, I suppose I'll just have to battle that Growlithe again!"

"What?" Callie said, her eyes wide.

She looked back at Growlithe and saw it was now focused on Elekid, narrowing its eyes and smirking ever so slightly. Growlithe took a trembling step forward, trying to walk towards Elekid, but its knee gave way and it fell forward, unable to stand.

"Growlithe!" Callie gasped, kneeling down beside it. She attempted to place a hand on it, but Growlithe growled and snapped at her hand. Callie quickly withdrew her hand, her eyes wide.

"But. . . . Growlithe. . . . Why?" Callie whispered.

"Ha! What a dumb pokémon!" laughed Mitchell. "Come on, Elekid! Thunder!"

"Ele!"

Elekid jumped into the air and summoned a large amount of electricity before directing it towards Growlithe.

"No!" Callie cried out, running forward and throwing herself in front of Growlithe. "I won't let you hurt Growlithe!"

"Argh — kid, move!" shouted Mitchell, his eyes wide.

Callie watched, frozen in fear — why did she think this was a good idea? She couldn't stand up to a Thunder attack! But. . . . There was no way she could have sat there and watched them hurt Growlithe anymore. . . .

_"Zoro!"_

Callie felt a sudden weight on her shoulder, and she turned her head just in time to catch a glimpse of a familiar slate-grey fox launching itself off her shoulder into the air space before her. A brilliant green shield appeared, and Callie watched as Elekid's Thunder attack hit the shield and immediately was reflected, unable to break through the defense.

"Zoro!" Callie exclaimed, a smile spreading across her face. "You came back!"

The Thunder attack subsided and Zoro's Protect faded, and the small pokémon landed on the ground. He glanced over his shoulder, smiling ever so slightly, and gave Callie a stiff nod.

"Zor!"

Callie's heart felt suddenly warm, and she felt her eyes brim with tears. "Oh, Zoro. . . . Thank you!"

"Ha! So you _do_ have another pokémon!" exclaimed Mitchell. "A puny little Zorua for a puny little girl, how fitting! Elekid, take it out with Thunder Punch!"

"Zoro! Teach 'em a lesson!" Callie said with a determined smile. Zoro smirked and nodded, turning his attention to Elekid.

_"Night Daze!"_

Zorua's eyes began glowing light blue, and he reared back on his hind legs. His body became surrounded in a crimson aura, and Zoro then brought his paws down to the ground, and a pink and crimson forcefield of energy appeared around his body and shot forward, hitting Elekid with full force. Elekid let out a cry and flew backwards, crashing into the wall of a nearby shed. Elekid fell to the ground, slumped over, easily defeated by Zoro's Night Daze.

"W-what?" Mitchell stammered, returning his Elekid. "H-how? S-so powerful!"

"Now, how about you three get to work and stop bullying the poor pokémon around here? Or else Zoro and I will be back to teach you a lesson!" growled Callie.

"Guys, I think we oughta get out of here and get back to work," said Nathan with wide eyes.

"Uh, yeah, I second that," said Issac.

"Stop yapping and start running!" exclaimed Mitchell, and the three men scrambled out of there, tails between their legs.

Callie smiled as she watched them go, waiting for them to disappear before cheering.

"Oh, we did it, Zoro! Thank you!" Callie exclaimed, bending down and scooping the small fox-like pokémon up in her arms. "You were so amazing, Zoro! I can't believe it, and —"

However, Callie froze, and she frowned, holding Zoro out in front of her so they could look each other in the face.

"Zoro, I wanted to say I'm sorry," Callie said softly. Zoro's eyes widened. "I-I haven't been a very good friend, a-and I said some really mean, thoughtless things earlier. The truth is. . . . I'm always going to need you, Zoro, no matter how many pokémon I have. You've always been there to take care of me, and I shouldn't have said I don't need you anymore."

"Zor," Zoro said softly, his eyes glistening with tears.

Callie felt her own eyes beginning to sting. "I-I'm so sorry, Zoro. Please. . . . Never run away like that ever again! I was s-so scared I'd never see you again!"

At this point, she was full on crying, and she pulled Zoro into a hug. Zoro nuzzled into her neck, trying not to cry.

"I-I hope you can forgive me," Callie whimpered.

"Zor, zorua!" Zoro muttered.

"Oh, Zoro," Callie sighed, relieved. "I promise, I'll be a much better friend, okay?"

_"Grooooow. . . ."_

The groaning beside them reminded Callie about the problem at hand — Growlithe. She and Zoro quickly parted, the small pokémon resting on her shoulder, and she knelt down beside Growlithe. It was struggling to stand up, but it was apparent it was in no condition to do so, and Growlithe keeled over, unconscious, its breathing shallow.

"Oh no," Callie whispered. "We've got to get it to the Pokémon Center! I guess I'll have to carry it."

Callie wrapped her arms around Growlithe and attempted to lift it, managing to get Growlithe in her arms. However, she was only able to make it a few steps before she had to stop, legs and arms trembling — Growlithe was so heavy, there was no way she'd make it very far with him, and she definitely couldn't get to the Pokémon Center in a timely manner. She carefully laid Growlithe on the ground, frowning as she went over her options.

"It's no good, I'll have to just heal him here on the spot," muttered Callie. "I can use that medicine Alder gave me, that should do the trick!"

Callie reached for her bag and immediately cursed under her breath.

"That's right, I left my bag at the Pokémon Center. . . . Zoro, what are we going to do?" Callie said, her face creased with worry.

They didn't have much time. Growlithe was in a lot of trouble, and if she didn't get him help soon, she didn't want to even think about what was going to happen. There had to be something she could do. . . .

_'That pink one there is a Heal Ball! It restores the caught Pokémon to complete health.'_

Her eyes widened as she recalled what the store owner had told her earlier — the Heal Ball! Callie reached for her belt and grabbed the pink pokéball off her belt. She clicked the blue button in the middle of the capsule and it grew to full size in her hand. She looked down at Growlithe, who was straining to look up at Callie.

"Growlithe. . . . I'm sorry, but. . . . I've got to catch you in this Heal Ball," Callie said. Growlithe's eyes widened and it shook its head, growling lowly. Callie frowned. "I-I don't have a choice, Growlithe. I can't carry you to the Pokémon Center, and I don't have my bag. I can't just leave you here! But, if I catch you in this Heal Ball, you'll be okay. You'll be restored to full health. And. . . . And if you want, I'll let you go after I catch you. Just, please. . . . Let me help you!"

Growlithe stared at Callie, as if contemplating his options. Then, realizing there was no other choice, Growlithe gave a reluctant nod. Callie smiled gently.

"I promise. . . . I just want to help you," Callie whispered. "Now. . . . Heal Ball . . . _go_."

She gently pressed the Heal Ball against Growlithe's nose. The Heal Ball opened up, and Growlithe was consumed by a hot pink light. Then, Growlithe disappeared into the capsule and it shut itself, and began wiggling back and forth in Callie's hand, the blue button on the capsule flashing white. Then, the ball settled, and the flashing stopped.

Callie smiled softly at the capsule, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Good," she said quietly. "We did it. . . ."

She looked to Zoro, who gave her a nod of encouragement, and Callie held the Heal Ball out in front of her.

"Growlithe, come on out!"

In a flash of hot pink light, Growlithe appeared before Callie, completely unscathed, standing tall before her.

"Growlithe, you're okay," Callie said with a smile, kneeling down in front of Growlithe. The canine-like pokémon stiffened some as she got close, as if it wasn't sure if it would attack her or not, but then Growlithe gave her a small nod.

"Well, I'm glad; you had me worried," Callie said. She then stood up, looking down at Growlithe. "So, I guess you probably want to stay here, huh?"

Growlithe said nothing, nor did he make any movements, so Callie assumed that meant it was staying.

She nodded, chuckling softly, "Okay, well, if you're staying here, you've got to promise to take care of yourself, alright? I can't be sure I'll be here to protect you next time; not that you really need protection. You did a good job of holding your own back there."

Growlithe stared up at her, its eyes wide, and it gave a very subtle nod. Callie smiled and looked down at the Heal Ball in her hand. She was hoping to get to save the pokéball for a pokémon that would be a permanent part of her team, but she knew that this was a good use of the Heal Ball. . . . She then looked back to Growlithe, who was still watching Callie carefully, and she giggled, shaking her head, and placed the Heal Ball on the ground in front of Growlithe.

"I want you to keep this, Growlithe," Callie said with a smile. "Just a little something to remember me by, okay?"

"Growl?" Growlithe said curiously, staring at her with wide eyes.

Callie straightened up and frowned softly, thinking back to her Oshawott and Riolu. . . . They definitely needed to go to the Pokémon Center.

"Well, come on, Zoro," Callie said. "We've got to get Oshawott and Riolu to the Pokémon Center so Nurse Joy can take a look at them!"

She began to walk away, giving Growlithe a fleeting look over her shoulder.

"Take care of yourself, Growlithe," Callie called.

Growlithe sat there, silently stunned as it watched Callie and Zoro walk towards the exit of the complex. It stole a glance at the Heal Ball in front of it and then looked back up to watch Callie go, but by the time it did, she was gone.


	5. First Time in the Spotlight!

Chapter Five

Callie and Zoro ran recklessly through the streets of Virbank City, trying to make it back to the Pokémon Center as quickly as possible. She wasn't sure how badly Oshawott and Riolu were injured, but she knew that, the sooner she got them to the Pokémon Center, the better.

The two of them soon made it back to the Pokémon Center and ran through the front doors of the building. Nurse Joy heard the doors slide open and she looked up, smiling when she saw Callie and Zoro.

"Ah, I see you found your Zorua," Nurse Joy said with a smile.

"Y-yeah," Callie panted, coming to a halt in front of the desk.

Nurse Joy sensed the urgency and her smile faltered some. "What's wrong, Callie? You look worried."

"I-I got . . . in a battle," Callie said between breaths. "O-oshawott and R-riolu . . . need help. . . . Please."

She pulled the two pokéballs off her belt and placed them on the counter, her hands trembling from exhaustion — she really wasn't used to running that fast for that long.

Nurse Joy's eyes widened and just grabbed the pokéballs. "Right. I'll take them back straight away!"

And with that Nurse Joy disappeared through the doors behind her desk.

Callie let out a heavy sigh and pressed her back against the counter, sliding down the length of the counter and sitting on the floor. . . . What a night. . . .

Zoro looked at Callie for a moment, obviously worried, and he placed a comforting paw on her shoe.

Callie smiled softly down at him.

"Oh, don't worry about me, Zoro," Callie said quietly. "I'm just thinking. . . . This is our second full day on our adventure, and it was just as crazy as yesterday! I was hoping this would be a bit easier, but I guess when you're on a mission to save the world, everything it just going to be far from easy, huh?"

"Zoro, zor," Zoro said simply.

Callie was about to say something, when suddenly, the doors to the Pokémon Center opened, and a man came running through — it was the project manager from the Virbank Complex. He looked flushed and out of breath, but he looked from side to side, obviously in search of something. Callie slowly stood, about to ask him if he needed help, but the moment he saw her, his eyes widened and he smiled.

"Well there . . . you . . . are," he panted, wiping the sweat that was beading on his forehead.

"You're looking for me?" Callie said curiously.

"I told ya' I'd have somethin' for ya' if you got my men back to work, didn't I?" he said, his words coming a bit easier to him now.

"Oh!"

The man smiled and straightened up, walking over to Callie. "I really do appreciate what you did for me. My men have never worked harder in their lives! Your battle really straightened 'em out."

Callie smiled and blushed sheepishly, while Zoro stood beside her, his chest swelling with pride some as the two of them both thought back to his powerful Night Daze attack.

"I-it was nothing, really," Callie said with a wave of her hand. "Honestly, I was more interested in protecting that Growlithe than anything."

"That's another thing I want to thank you for," said the man. "I watched you talk to that Growlithe — damn thing is always causing trouble. I don't know what you said to it, but once you were gone, the thing took off out of the complex faster than anything I've ever seen! You must've really scared him!"

"Growlithe took off?" Callie nearly shouted. "B-but why?"

"I assumed you said something to it," said the project manager with an unconcerned shrug. "The damn thing is always causing problems; attacking my men, ruining my equipment during the night, stealing lunches. . . . Honestly, I'm just glad it's gone!"

Callie frowned, her heart sinking some. Why would Growlithe run away from his home?

"Well, anyway, that's why I had to just track you down and thank you," said the man. "You went above and beyond what I expected, so here, take this — it's yours!"

The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a teal color stone, that glinted like an eye. He held it out to Callie, and she stared at the stone curiously, taking it in her hand.

"What is this?" Callie said, inspecting the odd stone.

"That there is a Dawn Stone!" said the man with a smile. "That stone there helps certain pokémon evolve."

"What kind of pokémon?" Callie said curiously.

The project manager paused for a moment, obviously trying hard to recall that answer, but then he sighed, shaking his head. "Ah, I can't remember. . . . But, it's a rare stone. Found it while digging at the complex a few months back. I was gonna sell it, but then you came along and did such a great job, I figured you could put this to better use than I could."

"Wow, thank you," Callie said with wide eyes, smiling up at him. "Th-this is so nice of you!"

"Well, of course! Keep up the hard work, kid. If you always battle as hard as you did back there, then I don't think anything is going to stop you."

Callie smiled brightly, holding the Dawn Stone tightly in her hand. "That means a lot, thank you!"

"I'd best get going now; take care," said the project manager, waving to Callie he left.

Callie smiled as he went, looking down at the Dawn Stone in her hand — maybe she'd actually catch a pokémon that could use a Dawn Stone to evolve! She went to tuck it into her bag before being reminded that she still didn't _have_ her bag.

"Oh, I should probably go get it," she muttered to herself, turning to go to the cafeteria.

However, it was then that Nurse Joy came out of the back room, Audino behind her. Callie looked to her, anxiously awaiting the news.

"Oshawott and Riolu are going to be just fine," Nurse Joy said with a smile. "With a good night's rest, they'll be back to normal tomorrow morning."

Callie let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad to hear that — thank you, Nurse Joy."

"Of course," she said with a short bow. Then, Nurse Joy's eyes widened slightly. "Ah! I forgot! You left your bag here, didn't you?"

"I did!"

"Great — Audino found it at the table you were sitting at, so we were keeping it for you back here," Nurse Joy said, reaching down behind the counter and pulling out Callie's bag.

Callie took her bag gratefully, smiling. "Well, thank you very much, Nurse Joy, for everything. I think Zoro and I are going to go to bed now, so —"

"Hey! Look at that Growlithe!" someone shouted from behind Callie.

Callie and Zoro both turned around quickly and saw a trainer pointing to the doors of the Pokémon Center. Standing right outside the door with its paws pressed against it was none other than a Growlithe. Callie stared at it for a second, wondering why in the world it was there, but then she realized that the Growlithe was staring at _her_.

"Is that. . . ?" she trailed off, not finishing her sentence.

"Look, there's something in its mouth, too!" another trainer pointed out.

No one moved, and they all just stared at the Growlithe that was standing there, eyes locked on Callie. Slowly, Callie stepped towards the doors of the Pokémon Center, Growlithe watching her every step. When she got close enough to the doors that the motion sensor picked up on her movement, the doors slid open, and Growlithe stood there on all fours, looking up at her. There was no doubt about it. It was the same Growlithe from the Virbank Complex!

"Growlithe?" Callie said softly, crouching down so she was eye level with him.

Growlithe bent his head down and placed something on the ground — it was the Heal Ball. Callie watched with wide eyes as Growlithe gently nudged the Heal Ball with hos nose, sending it rolling towards her. The ball hit her foot, and Callie picked up the Heal Ball in her hand.

"Growlithe, I wanted you to keep this, remember?" Callie said.

Growlithe nodded and stared at her — if he understood that she wanted him to keep it, then why. . . . Why would he be giving it back?

Unless. . . .

"Growlithe, are you saying. . . . Are you saying you want to come with me?" Callie said, her eyes widening.

Growlithe's face brightened ever so slightly, and she saw a small smile on his face. However, when he realized he was smiling, Growlithe's face quickly hardened and he turned his head away from Callie, giving a stiff nod.

"Growl," he said lowly.

Callie smiled, giggling. "Oh, Growlithe — welcome to the team!"

She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his fur. Growlithe stiffened, obviously not used to this kind of affection.

"Alright, I caught a Growlithe!" Callie cheered.

So, after making sure Growlithe got something to eat, Callie, Zoro, and their newest partner Growlithe all headed off to their room, ready to turn in for the night. As Callie and Zoro got settled into the bed, Callie noticed Growlithe sitting on the ground, looking around the room uncomfortably.

"Growlithe? Are you okay?" Callie said, peering down at him.

Growlithe said nothing, instead just looking away from her.

"Do you want to sleep in the bed? It's more comfortable than the floor."

But still Growlithe sat there, back turned towards Callie. The young trainer frowned and laid down on her bed, watching Growlithe's back. It didn't really seem as if he wanted to be a part of her team, but then again, he came all the way from the complex just to be with her. . . . If only she could understand why he was acting like this. . . .

The next morning, when Callie woke up, she found Growlithe was sitting in the exact same spot as the night before, his back turned toward her, staring out the window at the rising sun. He hadn't moved even an inch. Callie glanced at the end of the bed and saw Zoro was sleeping on his back, completely stretched out, oblivious to the world around him.

"Good morning, Growlithe," Callie said gently.

"Growl," Growlithe grunted, not turning towards her.

Callie sighed softly and got out of bed. She got herself dressed and nudged Zoro awake, and the small fox pokémon rolled over and stretched, yawning before he jumped off the bed. Callie grabbed her bag and looked down at Growlithe.

"Why don't we go see if Oshawott and Riolu are rested up, okay?" Callie suggested.

For the first time since Growlithe officially joined the team, he actually looked at Callie and gave a small nod. So, the three of them made their way to the lobby of the Pokémon Center and immediately went to the front desk, where Nurse Joy sat with Audino.

"Good morning, Nurse Joy," Callie said. "How are Oshawott and Riolu?"

"Ah, Callie, I thought I'd be seeing you soon," Nurse Joy said with a smile. "I've already brought them up — your pokémon are fighting fit!"

Nurse Joy held out two pokéballs to Callie, which she gratefully took.

"Thank you so much, Nurse Joy," Callie said with a smile. She turned around to face Growlithe, who sat behind her, carefully watching each person that walked by. "Growlithe, would you like to officially meet your team mates?"

"Growl."

Once again, all he did was grunt his response and give a vague nod, watching as a trainer walked out the front doors with a Purrloin in her arms. Callie sighed softly and released Oshawott and Riolu, both looking refreshed and well rested.

"Osha!"

"Rio!"

"Looks like you two are feeling better, huh?" Callie said with a smile.

Oshawott and Riolu stared up at the trainer with broad smiles and nodded eagerly. Callie noticed the stitches on Riolu had been redone — Nurse Joy must have decided to change them.

"Now, I want you guys to meet Growlithe — he's now an official part of our team!" Callie said eagerly, pointing towards Growlithe.

Riolu and Oshawott both turned around and to see Growlithe, who was still sitting with his back towards them. The two of them ran around him and stood right in front of him, forcing Growlithe to look at them.

"Osh! Osha! Osh! Oshawott!" Oshawott exclaimed eagerly, waving happily at Growlithe.

Growlithe cracked a small smile at the Water-type pokémon and nodded.

"Ri! Ri! Riolu!" Riolu said, holding his paw out to Growlithe.

However, instead of being welcoming like he was with Oshawott, Growlithe narrowed his eyes at Riolu and spat a small burst of fire in Riolu's face, scorching his fur.

"Ah! Riolu! Are you okay?" Callie gasped.

But Riolu ignored his trainer's call and he narrowed his eyes at Growlithe before thrusting his paw against Growlithe's chest. Callie was about to intercept when a huge yellow light blasted from his paw, sending Growlithe flying back.

"Growlithe, watch out!" Callie exclaimed, quickly diving to grab Growlithe.

The Fire-type pokémon was thrown into Callie's chest and she braced herself, managing to stay on her feet as she caught him. Riolu's eyes widened as he watched his trainer dive after Growlithe, and Growlithe stared up at Callie with wide eyes.

"Growlithe, are you okay?" Callie said through clenched teeth — Growlithe was fairly heavy, so stopping him was no easy feat.

"Growl . . . lithe," Growlithe grunted before getting to his feet.

Growlithe narrowed his eyes at Riolu, readying himself for another attack. Riolu glared at Growlithe with a taunting stare, as if inviting him to attack.

"Growl. . . ."

"Ri. . . ."

"Both of you — _enough_!"

Callie was standing, looking down at her two pokémon incredulously. Oshawott looked up at Callie, eyes wide with fear; he apparently didn't like it when she raised her voice. Growlithe and Riolu both tore their gazes away from one another and looked up at their trainer in shock — Callie definitely didn't come across as the type of person who could shout like that. Zoro, however, acted as if he wasn't surprised in the slightest; he knew that Callie could be firm when it was called for.

Callie sighed heavily as she between Riolu and Growlithe — what happened?

"What's gotten into you two?" Callie said, shaking her head. "You two just met. . . ."

"There seems to be some competition between the two," Nurse Joy said as she observed from behind her desk.

Callie looked towards her. "Competition? What do you mean?"

Nurse Joy smiled. "Well, it seems to me, those two are very fond of you."

"Fond of me?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "Mhmm. The way that Growlithe stands behind you and watches everyone and everything — he's keeping watch. He's guarding you."

"That's what he's doing?" said Callie. "I thought that meant he didn't like me. . . ."

"Quite the opposite! Growlithe are friendly pokémon, but they're also fiercely loyal, and they'll fearlessly defend their trainers, no matter what," said Nurse Joy. "And Riolu are also very loyal pokémon, and they're protective by nature as well. It seems as though those two have a bit of a rivalry."

"Oh boy," Callie sighed. "Just what I needed — two pokémon that hate each other. . . ."

Nurse Joy giggled. "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure they'll come to respect each other eventually. Until then, you'll just have to make sure they don't fight too much."

Callie nodded. "Right — thanks, Nurse Joy. I think we're all gonna go get breakfast, and then we'll explore the city!"

So after managing to keep Growlithe and Riolu from trying to kill each other during breakfast, Callie returned the two brawling pokémon to their pokéballs, and she, Oshawott, and Zoro left the Pokémon Center, deciding to find something to do with their day.

"Well, we're supposed to go see Roxie and her band play tonight, but that doesn't start until eight, so we have a lot of time to kill," Callie muttered as they went, Oshawott in her arms and Zoro on her shoulder. "I'm not really sure what we could do — we went to the Virbank Complex yesterday. . . . I suppose we could always go to the movies, right? And then we could all go for ice cream after!"

"Osha!"

"Zor-zor!"

"Well, let's get the other two out and see what they think! Growlithe! Riolu! Come on out!"

So, once again, Callie released the two pokémon, who appeared before her, smiling up at their trainer. However, once the two realized they were standing next to one another, they quickly crouched into defensive positions, ready to attack.

"Growl!"

"Ri-ri!"

_"Not so fast!"_ snapped Callie, staring down at her pokémon. Growlithe and Riolu begrudgingly looked away from one another and back to Callie, who sighed heavily. "I swear, you two, why can't you just get along. . . . Okay, here's the deal! If you two can promise to be on your best behavior — that means _no fighting_ — we're thinking about going to catch a movie and getting ice cream afterwards. What do you think? I hear there's this amazing ice cream stand called Bearticone around here."

Growlithe and Riolu both smiled at the suggestion, nodding eagerly. So, with everyone in agreement, and a momentary truce between Growlithe and Riolu, the party of five headed off towards Pokéstar Studios, which is where they not only showed movies, but they produced them as well! It was a place Callie had always wanted to visit growing up, but not too long after pokémon had been banned by Team Plasma, Pokéstar Studios was forced to close, and all movies with pokémon in them were destroyed. But Callie's mom always told stories about going there with her parents once a month to see a new movie — she always said those were some of her favorite memories as a child.

They all headed north, passing people as they went. Callie, Oshawott, and Zoro led the group, while Riolu and Growlithe brought up the rear, glaring at each other as they went, but neither of them made any attacks. Soon enough they made it to the Pokéstar Studios, and they waited in line for their tickets at the box office outside. As they waited patiently, a loud shout came from behind them.

"Oh! I can't believe it! Today's the day! My movie's big debut!"

Callie and her pokémon all turned and saw the familiar sight of a man in a sailor suit — it was Roxie's dad! He was walking towards Pokéstar Studios, a smile on his face.

"I can't wait to see the movie, and to see what everyone thinks of it!" he said excitedly as he made his way to the door. At the sight of the line at the box office, Roxie's father stopped and observed it, his head seeming to swell. "Why! You must all be here to see my newest movie, aren't you?"

Callie watched as the others in line glanced at him and tried to hide their laughter, rolling their eyes at him.

"Yeah right, old man, no one wants to see that snooze-fest of a movie," laughed one man in line.

"I have friends who work here at Pokéstar Studios, and they all told me your movie was just a waste of film; who in their right mind would see it?" said another girl.

"Yeah, like I'd waste my money on that!"

"Just get out of here!"

The laughter in line was contagious, and soon everyone except for Callie and her pokémon seemed to be laughing at Roxie's father. However, the mockery didn't seem to bother him in the slightest, and Roxie's father brushed it all off, taking their comments with a grain of salt. He then laid his eyes on Callie, who stood there silently, and he smiled triumphantly.

"Why, you there! I recognize you! You were outside the Pokémon Center when I had that dreadful argument with my dear Roxie!" he exclaimed, running over to Callie and taking her hand in his, which caused Growlithe and Riolu to growl lowly at him, but Roxie's father paid no attention to this. "Young girl, what is your name?"

"Erm — I'm Callie."

"Ah, Callie! You can call me Pop Roxie!" he said with a smile. "So, Callie, tell me, did you come here to see my movie after you saw how dreadful my daughter was yesterday?"

"E-excuse me?" Callie said with wide eyes.

"Oh, I know you heard everything," Pop Roxie sighed dramatically. "You saw how rude my daughter had been, and you've come to support me instead, is that right?"

"O-oh, er — y-yes," Callie said hesitantly, not having the heart to tell him she had been planning to watch the _Queen Mime Jr. and King Bonsly_ movie.

"Ah, I just knew it!" said Pop Roxie, clapping his hands together excitedly. "And because you're here to support me, you and all your pokémon can get the best seats in the house, free of charge! You'll be my plus one — or, plus five, I suppose."

He laughed heartily and Callie chuckled nervously alongside him, deciding to just go along with it. Pop Roxie ushered Callie out of the line and led her inside, holding the door open for her and her pokémon.

"So, what movie is yours?" Callie said as she and her pokémon followed Pop Roxie through Pokéstar Studios towards the hall labeled 'Theater'.

"It's called, _Midlife Man of Justice. vs Brycen-Man_!"

"That's . . . quite the title," Callie said with a sheepish smile.

Pop Roxie, oblivious to her forced compliment, said, "Why, thank you! I came up with it myself! Quite catchy, don't you think? I play Midlife Man of Justice, but I actually go by a different name — oh, I won't spoil it for you!"

"T-thanks," Callie said, laughing nervously.

Pop Roxie brought them to a theater, and they saw it was rather empty, though there were a couple seats already filled.

"It'll start shortly — how about we get a seat right up front? Oh, and look, there are plenty of seats for all your pokémon, perfect!"

Without waiting for any input from Callie, Pop Roxie ushered her and all her pokémon to the front of the theater, all of them sliding into the second row. As they got comfortable, Pop Roxie was chattering excitedly next to Callie, talking about how quickly they were able to film the movie and so on and so forth, but Callie was only partially listening. She was a bit distracted trying to make sure Riolu and Growlithe, who ended up sitting next to each other, didn't try killing each other in the middle of the theater. Oshawott and Zoro were both small enough that they were able to both sit comfortably on her lap.

Then, the lights in the theater suddenly dimmed, and the screen flickered to life.

"Oh!" Pop Roxie said excitedly from beside her. "It looks like the film is just about to start!"

"Uh — excuse me. . . . Is this seat taken?"

Callie and Pop Roxie both turned and saw a person standing there, a hood drawn over their head to conceal their face. They motioned to the seat beside Pop Roxie. Callie thought it was a bit strange, but Pop Roxie didn't seem to think anything odd about it.

"Ah! No! Of course not! Sit, sit!" he said encouragingly, ushering the figure to sit down. As they sat beside him, he began rambling again. "I'm in this movie, y'know — I'm the _star_, actually. It's my first film. . . ."

He went on for a few more moments before some movie goers a few rows backed yelled at him to be quiet. So, with the theater completely silent, the projector played through a few other movie trailers before finally, the screen went black, and it began to count backwards from three. Then, the screen became a blinding white color and the words_ Midlife Man of Justice vs Brycen-Man_ appeared in bold, purple font.

"You weren't kidding about the name," Callie whispered, shaking her head slightly.

The scene shifted, and images of a carnival appeared on the screen as the narrator's voice came over the speakers.

"A place of never-ending smiles, everyone's ideal place to play, the amusement park! But, a threatening shadow lurks over this happy place. . . . The stage is set for trouble. . . ."

The screen shifted to a man wearing a purple and green suit with black gloves and black boots, topped off with a green cape and purple mask, dawning a purple and green staff. He was strapping explosives to the ferris wheel, merry-go-round, and other various rides, laughing maniacally as he did so.

The narrator spoke again.

"However! It's darkest just before the dawn! A hero has appeared on the scene! And that hero's name is . . . Riolu-Man!"

"That's me!" Pop Roxie whispered excitedly to Callie.

"Go, my pokémon! Unleash your power, and destroy everything in this amusement park!" Brycen-Man laughed as he sent forth his Pawniard.

Then, off camera, a small voice piped up. "Can you hold on, please?"

"Wh . . . who are you?" Brycen-Man said.

The narrator spoke again.

"The Messenger of Truths and Ideals, Riolu-Man, enters!"

The camera then panned over to a man in a brightly colored yellow and blue jumpsuit, wearing red gloves, red boots, and a matching red mask — it was Pop Roxie, and he was standing beside a Riolu.

"Look, Riolu, you're on the big screen," Callie said with a small smile to her fighting-type.

Riolu nodded fondly, a small smile on his face, and Growlithe rolled his eyes at Riolu's excitement from seeing a fellow Riolu in the movie.

"Hey there, Brycen-Man! It's not nice to do bad things!"

"An amusement park. . . . A place of idle dreams or, perhaps, ideal dreams. . . . I have no use for either ideals or dreams!"

"Then, I'll have to stop you! Riolu, use Force Palm!" Pop Roxie directed.

Callie had to admit — though Pop Roxie's acting was undoubtedly terrible, Brycen-Man and Riolu's acting helped make up for it. So, the Riolu rushed forward and placed his paw on Pawniard, and a flash of yellow light came forth and sent Pawniard flying backwards. It skidded across the ground and landed at Brycen-Man's feet, fainted.

Brycen-Man scoffed. "A single hit to knockout my pokémon. . . . You're pretty good, Riolu-Man! Despite that though. . . . You will be brought to your knees before me when I end you with my dark, secret arts! Prepare to be finished!"

"I'm scared!" Riolu Man cried, visibly shaking on camera.

"Mwahaha! How pitiful, Riolu-Man! Why would I waste my secret arts on someone like you? This should do it — come forth, my loyal Vullaby!"

Brycen-Man released his Vullaby and laughed darkly. "Mwahaha! I will end you now, Riolu-Man! Vullaby — Air Slash!"

Vullaby used Air Slash, which instantly knocked out Riolu. Growlithe sniggered in the seat beside Callie as he watched the Riolu on screen get defeated so easily, meanwhile Callie's Riolu bowed his head a bit, as if he was embarrassed to watch a Riolu go down so quickly.

"Mwahaha! This is the end for you, Riolu-Man!" Brycen-Man cackled. "I didn't even have to use my secret arts! Now, just stand in the corner, and watch me destroy the amusement park!"

"Yowch! I wasn't hero material after all. . . ."

"Mwahaha!"

The narrator, sounding a bit unsure, spoke.

"Facing Brycen-Man, Riolu-Man lost all his strength to fight. But. . . . No one will ever forget how he timidly fought with all his might! Thank you, Riolu-Man! Good-bye, Riolu-Man!"

As the narrator finished his attempt to put a positive spin on what just happened, the screen went black and the credits began to roll. Callie and her pokémon sat there, staring at the screen, trying to figure out what in the world they had just witnessed. The movie was far from good. It was terrible. The credits ended and the lights in the theater came back on, and Callie looked beside her to see that Pop Roxie was also sitting silently, and she felt the need to say something.

"Well, that was definitely a surprise ending," Callie said with a forced laugh. "I-I mean, I never would have thought Brycen-Man would win!"

Pop Roxie was quiet for a moment before he suddenly burst out in laughter, tears forming in his eyes. He didn't bother trying to say anything, just continued laughing for several minutes. Finally, he took a few gasping breaths, and he wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes.

"Ha ha ha! I've always dreamed of making my debut on the silver screen. . . . Now, I've fulfilled that dream. . . . Different people have different talents. I knew it all along. But I see my daughter striving to balance the responsibility of being a Gym Leader while pursuing her own dreams of being in a band. Although, I'm a father, I really wanted to pursue my own long-held dream. . . . If you stop pursuing your dreams, your life might as well be over, right?" Pop Roxie said, looking slightly amused. "I should have known. . . . There's no way I could actually be a movie star. . . ."

"I thought your movie was pretty good."

Both Callie and Pop Roxie paused and turned, surprised to see that the comment had come from the figure that had taken the open seat beside Pop Roxie before the movie. With both of their attention, the figure pushed back the hood covering their face, revealing familiar stark white hair and bright blue eyes — it was Roxie!

"Roxie!" Pop Roxie said with wide eyes. "You came?"

Roxie looked from her father to Callie, who smiled softly when the two of them made eye contact. Roxie nodded softly to her and looked back to her father, shrugging her shoulders.

"I realized I came off a bit harsh yesterday, and. . . . I should have been more supportive of your dreams," Roxie sighed, obviously not used to being sincere with her father. "I guess, what I'm trying to say is. . . . I'm sorry."

Her father chuckled heartily, shaking his head. "No, no, you were right — I'm not cut out for the duel life like you lead. I could never make it as a Poké Star. . . . No, it's the captain's life for me. . . . That movie was. . . . No, it wasn't the movie. It was me. I was so excited that I didn't really become Riolu-Man! Acting like that won't thrill or excite anyone. . . ."

"C'mon! Don't get down!" said Roxie, looking suddenly determined. "You can keep trying while you continue on as captain! As long as you don't care anyone trouble, I won't get mad. I don't know how the Pokéstar Studios people feel about that, though!"

"Okay! I guess I'll do my best as captain! I'll excite and thrill everyone by barreling through rough waves!" Pop Roxie seemed to have found a new inspiration, and he stood up, looking at Callie. "Callie! Thank you for accompanying me to my debut! But, I think I'll leave all of the starring in roles to you young people! Now, I've got a ship to sail! Come see me at the docks if you ever want to get to Castelia City!"

With that, Pop Roxie left the theater, and Callie assumed he was heading to the docks. Callie and her pokémon stood, as did Roxie.

"So, you're still coming to my show tonight, right?" said Roxie with a smile.

Callie nodded. "That's the plan! We were all just trying to find something to do to pass the time, and that's when we ran into your dad outside the theater," she said with a small laugh.

Roxie nodded, still smiling. "Yeah, I'm sure — Pops can sure be persuasive."

Roxie then sighed and straightened her shoulders. "Well, I've got to go practice the set list we have for tonight. You still got that flyer I gave you, right?"

"Hm, oh yeah, it's right here," Callie said, pulling it out of her bag.

Roxie smiled. "Great! You'll need that to get in, so bring it with you. Well, anyway, I'll see you there!"

The Virbank City Gym Leader turned to leave, but Callie spoke up.

"Roxie! Wait!"

Roxie paused, glancing over her shoulder, and Callie smiled.

"I just wanted to say. . . . I'm really glad you came here to watch your dad's movie. It may not have been very good, but. . . . Well, it meant a lot to him."

Roxie rolled her eyes, but Callie could see she was trying to suppress a smile. "Yeah, well, I had some free time, so I figured I could at least see it since it was causing so much trouble down at the docks. . . ."

And with that, Roxie left. Callie smiled as she watched her go before looking back at her pokémon.

"Well guys, the movie was a bit of a bust, but there's still ice cream! Let's go!"

Soon, the part of five were sitting at a table just outside the Bearticone ice cream stand, all of them with their own ice cream, and sure enough, it was fantastic.

"I'm so glad this at least turned out how we wanted," Callie said with a smile as they all enjoyed their ice cream.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Callie!"

Callie and her pokémon all looked up from their ice cream. Standing there watching them from a distance was none other than Hugh!

"Wow, hey, Hugh!" Callie said excitedly, waving him over.

Hugh smiled and joined them at the table. He looked around at her pokémon, his eyes wide.

"Is that the Riolu from Floccesy Ranch? And that Growlithe . . . they aren't both yours, are they?" Hugh said, watching the two of them, who were staring back at him.

Callie nodded eagerly, smiling a bit smugly. "They sure are! I caught them both yesterday!"

"Yesterday?" Hugh said incredulously. "No way! How could you catch two pokémon in one day, and I only caught one? Not fair!"

"You caught a pokémon?" Callie said excitedly. "Let me see!"

"Yeah, you better get ready, because it's really strong!" Hugh said proudly. He pulled a pokéball off his belt and tossed it into the air. "Pidove, come on out!"

A small, grey bird-like pokémon appeared. It had golden, oval eyes and a tuft of feathers atop its routed head. Callie smiled, her eyes brightening.

"Oh, wow! It's so cute!" she cooed, pulling out her PokéDex and pointing it at Pidove.

"Pidove, the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon. A Pidove flock's cooing can get extremely noisy. Pidove is not attracted to shiny objects."

"So cool," Callie said with wide eyes.

"Yeah, isn't it?" Hugh said. Then he smiled slyly. "Hey, y'know — if you like it all that much, I _might_ be willing to trade it for your Growlithe."

Growlithe's eyes widened and he growled lowly at Hugh, and Callie looked at him with surprise. Then, she laughed loudly, shaking her head, and placed a hand on top of Growlithe's head.

"No, I don't think I'll be trading my Growlithe any time soon," Callie said. "He's one of a kind."

_"No fair!"_ whined Hugh. "I want a super strong fire type! Where'd you catch it?"

"I found him at the Virbank Complex," Callie said.

Hugh stood up, looking eager. "Great! Let's go! I want to go find one, too! You can come with me, and your Growlithe can show me where the others are!"

Growlithe continued to growl, and once again, Callie shook her head in response. "I'm afraid that's a no go, Hugh — Growlithe doesn't like that idea. Besides, we're gonna head back to the Pokémon Center soon and relax for a little while before we go to the show tonight."

"Show? What show?" said Hugh, obviously curious.

"Oh, this show," Callie said, pulling out the flyer that Roxie had given her yesterday.

Hugh took it in his hands and his eyes widened.

"No way! How'd you get this?" Hugh nearly shouted. "These are supposed to be super hard to get!"

"Really? It looks like a normal flyer to me," Callie said, taking the piece of paper back from Hugh.

"There are only one hundred and fifty of those things handed out! This is one of Roxie's special shows, and her shows are always amazing, so they can get pretty rowdy. They use those flyers as tickets — you can only get in if you have one of those," Hugh said. "So, how'd you get one?"

"Oh, well, Roxie gave it to me," Callie said simply.

_"What?!" _Hugh shouted. "First you met Alder, and now you met _Roxie_?! And, to top it all off, she gave you a pass to her show?!"

"Er — I-I guess," Callie said, not really sure why he was making such a big deal about it.

_"Not fair," _he groaned, flopping down in his seat dramatically. "Some people just have all the luck. . . ."

"Why is it such a big deal?" Callie said. "And what did you mean by special shows?"

"Because! Every once in a while, Roxie has a show that's exclusive to pokémon trainers! You see, her gym is always busy with shows, so it can be hard to find the time for a gym battle, so you have to set up an appointment for a battle weeks in advance. Every once in a while though, she'll have a special show, and Roxie will give those flyers out to pokémon trainers! And during her shows, she'll pick one lucky trainer and have a battle with them! If they win, they get the Virbank City Gym badge!" Hugh said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Well, if it's that important to you, then how about you come with me? I'm sure they won't mind if I bring a guest," Callie said with a shrug.

Hugh's eyes widened and he leaned forward, taking Callie's hands tightly in his. "You mean it, Callie? Really? You'll let me come along?"

"Er — yeah, sure," Callie said.

_"Yahoooooo!" _Hugh exclaimed, jumping into the air and jerking Callie out of her seat. Callie stumbled forward, but Hugh caught her, steadying her. "Er — sorry."

"It's fine," Callie muttered. She freed her hands from Hugh's grasp and sighed, shaking her head. "You can only come if you promise to calm down, okay?"

Hugh straightened up and became oddly serious, nodding his head stiffly. "Aye, aye, captain!"

Callie chuckled. "Alright, well, the show starts at eight, so let's meet at the Pokémon Center around seven thirty and leave from there. Sound good?"

"Sounds great to me!" said Hugh. He returned his Pidove and straightened his shoulders. "Alright! I'm gonna go train! That way I'll be ready if Roxie picks me for a battle tonight!"

And, just as usual, Hugh was gone in a flash. Callie smiled softy, laughing to herself before looking at her pokémon.

"Alright, guys, let's head back to the Pokémon Center, sound good?"

Seven thirty came around sooner than Callie was expecting, and she stood outside the Pokémon Center waiting for Hugh. She kept glancing at the time on her Xtransceiver, impatiently waiting for Hugh to show up. All her pokémon were safely in their pokéballs and Zoro was sitting on her shoulder, looking around the sidewalk as they waited.

"Hugh, where are you?" Callie muttered to herself, tapping her foot impatiently.

_"I'm here!"_ a voice shouted from down the sidewalk. "Callie! I'm here! I'm sorry!"

Callie and Zoro turned and saw Hugh running straight towards them, obviously in a panic. As he got closer, Hugh slowed down, coming to a stop right before them.

"Sorry I'm late! Got a bit carried away looking for a Growlithe and training," Hugh said with a laugh, surprisingly not out of breath from running.

"It's fine — let's go!" Callie said eagerly, and they were off.

As they walked though, the two chatted.

"So, did you managed to find a Growlithe?" Callie said curiously.

"No," groaned Hugh. "But I almost caught a Magnemite! It got away though. . . ."

Callie smiled sympathetically. "Well, that's alright, you can't catch every pokémon you run into, right?"

"Yeah, says you," grumbled Hugh. "You caught two pokémon in one day. . . ."

"Hugh," sighed Callie.

"Ah — there it is!"

Hugh pointed to a building just down the street, where a long one was forming. There were lights flashing on the outside of the building and loud rock music could be heard outside every time the door opened to let guests in. So, Hugh and Callie tagged on to the back of the line, waiting patiently to get to the door as the line moved. Slowly but surely the line moved, and soon enough, the two of them were standing in front of the bouncer by the front door.

"Do you guys have your flyers?" the man said, staring down his crocked nose at the two trainers.

"We have one right here," Callie said, holding out the flyer to the bouncer. He took it, looked it over, and nodded approvingly.

"You're good to go — what about you?" he said, eyeing Hugh.

"Oh, he's with me," Callie said with a smile.

The bouncer shook his head. "Not how it works. No flyer, no entrance."

"But that's not fair!" snapped Hugh. "What's one more person in there gonna do?!"

The bouncer narrowed his eyes at Hugh, becoming more intimidating than he already was.

"I said — no flyer, no entrance. Understood?" the bouncer growled.

Hugh's face paled. "Y-yes, sir."

The bouncer smirked and looked to Callie, holding the door open.

"You can go in," he grunted.

Callie frowned, looking back to Hugh. "I'm sorry, Hugh."

Hugh smiled, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it — you go in there and — _oh my Arceus_."

Hugh stopped mid-sentence and stared at the space behind Callie. She raised an eyebrow curiously and turned around to see what he was gawking at. That's when she saw the familiar face of Roxie. The Gym Leader was standing at the entrance, smiling at her.

"Well, well, well, you made it!" Roxie said with a smile. Then she looked at Hugh. "And it looks like you brought a friend!"

"I-I did, but I didn't realize he couldn't come in if he didn't have a flyer," Callie said.

Roxie laughed. "Nonsense — one more person won't hurt anything! James, let the boy in! A friend of Callie is a friend of mine!"

The bouncer, whose named was apparently James, narrowed his eyes slightly at Hugh but nodded, motioning for him to come in.

"Ha!" Hugh laughed loudly, smugly walking past James and stepping inside.

Callie followed after him, and the two stepped into the underground music club. It was dark and crowded, and the music was deafening. However, despite all that, when Roxie spoke, Callie was able to pick up on what she was saying.

"You two enjoy — we're gonna get the show started real soon," Roxie said with a grin before disappearing.

"I can't believe you know Roxie!" Hugh exclaimed. "Callie, knowing you is about as good as knowing a famous person."

"Erm — thanks," Callie said slowly, not sure if that was really a compliment.

Zoro, who was still sitting on Callie's shoulder, pressed into her neck, apparently not a fan of the loud music. Callie frowned softly and looked around, hoping to find a quiet place to sit. Or, at least, a quieter place.

"Let's go grab something to drink," Hugh said, nodding over to the bar.

The two walked over there and managed to snag two seats. The bartender looked at them with a disapproving glare.

"You two aren't old enough, move it," he said dismissively.

"We're not trying to trick you into anything," Hugh said. "We just want some water, okay?"

The bartender rolled his eyes and sighed, but he fixed them two cups of water. Callie thanked him and she and Hugh looked around, watching all the people around there. It was apparent that they were surrounded by pokémon trainers, all of them hoping to be the lucky one that Roxie chose for a battle.

"So, do you think you could beat Roxie in a battle?" said one trainer loudly to another.

"Yeah, of course! We've been training extra hard just in case she picks us!" said the other.

"Yeah, well, I only brought Steel-type pokémon since she uses poison pokémon!"

"I brought Ground-type pokémon!"

"I can't wait to see who she chooses!"

"I hope it's me!"

"When is she gonna come on?"

"I can't wait anymore!"

Those were the conversation happening all around them. Callie shook her head, chuckling softly — she was glad she didn't have to worry about a pokémon battle tonight. The bar area was surprisingly quiet compared to the rest of the gym and Zoro relaxed some. He jumped onto Callie's lap, smiling brightly.

"Feeling a bit better now?" Callie said.

"Zor, zor!"

"Hey, Callie," said Hugh, eyeing Zoro. "That Zorua isn't yours, right? It's a wild one that just follows you around?"

Callie nodded. "Mhmm, that's right."

"So that means I could catch it?" Hugh said slyly.

Callie narrowed her eyes and shoved Hugh, nearly knocking him out of his seat. "Don't you even think about it, Hugh! If you ever try to catch Zoro, I'll hunt you down!"

Hugh's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry — I was joking!"

"Well, it wasn't funny!"

"Noted," Hugh said with a hefty sigh.

Then, there was a sudden outburst of cheering from the crowd, and the two trainers turned their attention towards the stage where Roxie was standing, accompanied by a man and woman.

"Hey there, trainers!" Roxie shouted. "Are you all ready for a show?"

_"YEAAAA!" _the crowd roared.

"That's what I like to hear!" Roxie said with a laugh. "Now, as you all probably know, my name is Roxie — I'm the gym leader here at the Virbank Gym! But more importantly, I'm also the leader rocker for our band, Koffing and the Toxics!"

She played a great rift on the guitar, earning more praise from the crowd.

"And of course, these are my band mates! Our drummer, Nicky" — she motioned to the man — "and our guitarist, Billy Jo!"

More cheers from the crowd ensued as they all played a few bars. Then Roxie continued.

"Now, as you all know, these shows are a little different than my normal shows. We like to start things off with a pokémon battle with one of you lucky folks!"

_"YEAAAA!"_

_"PICK ME, ROXIE!"_

_"OVER HERE, ROXIE!"_

_"ROXIE, YOU'VE JUST GOT TO BATTLE ME!"_

_"PLEASE, ROXIE!"_

_"ROXIE!"_

_"WOOO! YES!" _Hugh screamed from his seat at the bar.

Callie and Zoro looked at him curiously but said nothing, just shook their heads — so much for him promise of being calm.

Roxie laughed, silencing the crowd.

"No worries, guys — I watched all of you as you came in the door. I already know which one of you I'm going to battle," Roxie said with a smirk.

Callie sat there eagerly, wanting to know who Roxie was going to pick — she was looking forward to seeing a real gym battle!

"Are you ready, Zoro?" Callie said, looking down at him. "We get to watch our first gym battle! This is gonna be great!"

_"Are you all ready to know who the lucky trainer is?"_ called Roxie. The crowd roared in response, and Callie could see the joy on Roxie's faced as people cheered.

However, Callie could have only imagined how her own face looked when a spotlight hit her and Zoro as Roxie's voice filled the gym.

"Okay then —_ Callie, will you join me up on stage_?"


	6. Moment of Truth!

Chapter Six

Callie sat there in her seat at the bar, completely motionless as the spotlight shone down on her and Zoro. There was no way she had heard Roxie, right? Roxie wasn't actually expecting Callie to battle her, right? This had to be some kind of dream. . . . Right?

"Callie? What are you waiting for?" Hugh said with wide eyes beside her. "Roxie chose you — get up there and battle!"

"I-I. . . . I can't go up there," Callie whispered. "Are you crazy? I-I've never been in a gym battle before, I don't know what to do, I-I —"

"Callie, you've got this!" Hugh said encouragingly. "You're a natural when it comes to battling!"

Callie's eyes widened. "Really?"

Hugh smiled, nodding his head slowly. "Of course! It's like you were destined for this! Pokémon battling is in your blood!"

_'It's in your blood, Callie! You were born for this!'_

Celebi's words echoed in Callie's head as she thought about her encounter with the legendary pokémon just days before. . . . That fateful encounter that sent her back in time on this life changing journey. . . . It may have only been a few days since then, but to Callie, it felt as though a life time had passed, as if so many things had changed since then. And now, there she was, about to have her first gym battle.

Callie looked at Hugh, smiling softly. "Thanks, Hugh, I needed that."

She placed her water back on the counter and took Zoro in her arms. Callie stood from her chair, straightening her shoulders as she looked ahead towards the stage where Roxie stood, grinning wildly at her. It was hard to look past all the trainers that were turned towards her, staring, all of them obviously envious that she had been chosen and not them, but somehow, Callie managed not to look at any of their scowling glares as she numbly made her way towards the stage in the center of the gym, Zoro grasped tightly in her arms.

When she got to the stage, Roxie held a hand out to her and hoisted Callie on to the stage, steadying her on her feet.

"So, I guess that means you accept my challenge, huh?" Roxie said with a smirk, holding the microphone between her and Callie so their conversation would be heard by all the trainers.

Callie gave a firm, yet somewhat hesitant nod. "Right — but, just because we're friends doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on you."

A chorus of 'oohs' broke out over the crowd.

Roxie chuckled lowly, shaking her head. "You sound confident. How many gym badges do you have?"

Callie's eyes widened and she blushed furiously, looking down at her feet. "Er — well, about that. . . . I don't have any."

"What?"

"None?"

"And you're going to try to battle Roxie?"

"Wow, one battle per show, and it's gonna be some snooze fest with a newbie trainer."

"What a waste of time!"

The crowd's attitude quickly turned south the moment they heard Callie didn't have any badges. Callie looked out across the crowd, frowning, her body beginning to tremble — they were right. She was a newbie, and there was no way she'd stand a chance against Roxie, even if she was a natural when it came to pokémon battles. She was just too new to this. . . . Callie looked down at her feet again, clenching her fists as she tried to fight back tears — she wasn't going to cry, not in front of all these people.

"Hey! Now just a minute!"

Callie's head shot up — she recognized that voice. It wasn't Hugh. . . .

"Wes!" Callie squealed in surprise when she saw his familiar face pushing his way to the front of the crowd.

Wes fought his way to the stage and hoisted himself up without any invitation. Callie saw body guards on either side of the stage move, ready to remove him, but Roxie raised her hand, motioning for them to stop, and they became quite still.

"Wes, what are you doing here?" Callie whispered, her eyes wide.

Wes flashed her a smile and nodded towards Roxie. "She handed me a flyer this afternoon when I got into town. Figured I had to check it out. Should have known you'd be here."

Callie smiled and Wes returned the gesture, giving her a swift wink before he turned to the crowd, the smile vanishing and his brow furrowed, scowling at them all.

"Now, you all listen here — Callie may not have the experience you all do, but she's a trainer all the same! We're all pokémon trainers, right? So we all have the same goal! To get stronger, to grow with our pokémon, to be the very best we can be! So, instead of sitting here and calling this battle a waste of time, how about we show some support to someone who's striving for the same things we all are?"

The crowd fell silent and Callie could see the look of guilt and discomfort on their faces — apparently, Wes's word had struck some sort of chord with them. Roxie smiled and clapped a hand down on Wes's shoulder.

"You've got yourself quite the friend here, Callie," Roxie said with a wink. "And he's pretty cute too."

"O-oh, uh, th-thanks," Wes stammered, his cheeks turning pink as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He then looked to Callie, giving her an encouraging smile. "I know this is your first gym battle, so just do your best, okay?"

Callie nodded, swallowing hard. "Er — right. Yeah. I-I will."

Wes smiled and hopped off the stage, making sure that he stood right up front. Callie watched as none other than Hugh forced his way forward, right next to him.

"Hey, Wes!" Hugh said excitedly. "You finally made it to Virbank City, huh? You're just barely keeping up with me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Wes said with a sigh, shaking his head. Then, the two boys looked up at Callie, smiling.

"Well, Callie, I'm glad it was you if it couldn't be me," said Hugh. "But try to win, okay?"

Callie smiled, nodding. "Right, I will."

Wes said nothing and simply smiled up at her. Callie, feeling emboldened from the encouragement from her friends, turned back to Roxie, smiling broadly.

"Alright, Roxie, I'm ready," Callie said with a nod.

"Alright — let's get this started!"

Soon, both girls were posed on opposite sides of the stage, staring each other down while the crowd watched them with anticipation. Zoro was standing beside Callie, watching patiently. A referee stood between the two of them, ready to officiate the battle.

"Callie!" Roxie called across the stage. "What's your full name?"

"My full name?" Callie echoed. "Why?"

"So the referee can properly introduce you, that's why," Roxie laughed.

"Oh, well — my last name is Freer," said Callie.

Roxie nodded and so did the referee, who then stepped forward, standing dead center in the stage.

"The battle between Gym Leader Roxie and Challenger Callie Freer is about to begin," said the referee. "This will be a three-on-three pokémon battle. The challenger can substitute her pokémon whenever she would like, however, the gym leader may not. The first trainer to knock out all of the other trainer's pokémon will be the winner. Let the battle begin!"

The referee returned to his spot on the side lines and Roxie smiled, pulling out a pokéball.

"Alright, Callie, I'll let you see what pokémon I'm using, and then you can decide who to send out," Roxie said. Then, throwing the pokéball in the air, she called, "Whirlipede, let's rock!"

Before Roxie appeared an odd, rolled up pokémon. It looked to be encased in a hard, segmented shell and had two pairs of gray, horn-like feelers with dark gray stripes, with one pair extended upward from its front and the other pointing downward from its lower rear.

"What pokémon is that?" Callie whispered, pulling out her PokéDex.

"Whirlipede, the Curlipede Pokémon and the evolved form of Venipede. Whirlipede can spin its hard shelled body like a tire and smash into opponents. It will also stab its opponents with poison spikes."

"What type of pokémon is it?" Callie muttered.

"Bug and Posion," her PokéDex replied. "Fire and Flying-type moves would be very effective."

"Fire-type moves?" Callie said with a smile. "Perfect."

She pulled the bright pink Heal Ball off her belt. Tossing it into the air, Callie called out, "Growlithe, I choose you!"

With a pink light, Growlithe appeared on stage, looking across the stage to Whirlipede. Growlithe paused and looked back over his shoulder at Callie curiously, and she smiled encouragingly.

"Alright, Growlithe, this is going to be our first battle together," Callie said. "You ready?"

"Growl," Growlithe grunted, giving her a firm nod and turning back to Whirlipede, smiling dangerously.

Callie looked down at her PokéDex again. "What moves does Growlithe know?"

"Growlithe knows Bite, Ember, Flame Wheel, and Agility."

Callie took a deep breath and stuck her PokéDex in her bag — she knew it was risky, deciding to start off her first gym battle with a pokémon she had never battled with before, but she was confident that Growlithe could do it.

"A Growlithe? Nice!" Roxie called out. "But Callie, your type advantage doesn't mean anything — my Whirlipede is strong!"

Callie smiled. "Well, we'll just see about that, won't we?"

"By all means then, have the first move!" Roxie said, smirking.

Callie nodded. "Alright! Growlithe! Use Flame Wheel!"

"Growl!"

Growlithe leapt into the air and began spinning. Then, suddenly, his entire form was consumed by flames and he became a fiery, spinning wheel, and he headed directed towards Whirlipede.

"Whirlipede, dodge it," Roxie ordered.

Then, with inhuman speed, Whirlipede rolled away in a flash, and Growlithe crashed into the ground where Whirlipede had once been. Growlithe was unharmed though and he quickly stood up, looking around for Whirlipede, who was poised behind him.

"That speed," Callie whispered, staring at the pokémon with wide eyes.

Roxie cracked a grin. "My Whirlipede is pretty fast, huh? Well, trust me, it's powerful too! Now, Whirlipede, use Roll Out!" Roxie ordered.

Whirlipede began rolling towards Growlithe, moving too fast for Callie to even call out an order. Roxie's Whirlipede hit Growlithe hard, sending him flying across the stage. Growlithe let out a yelp, skidding across the stage and coming to a stop right at the edge of the stage.

"Growlithe!" Callie called out. "Are you okay?"

"Growl . . . lithe," Growlithe grunted, getting to his feet.

"Good job, Growlithe!" Callie said, relieved he was okay.

"Callie, watch out, Whirlipede is coming back!" Wes called from the crowd.

Callie's eyes widened and she looked towards Whirlipede, who, sure enough, was turning around and heading back towards Growlithe with another Roll Out attack, going even faster than before.

"Growlithe, get out of there!" Callie said, her heart racing.

Growlithe nodded and tried to jump out of Whirlipede's way, but the Bug-type pokémon was just too fast and it hit Growlithe again, this time much harder, and Growlithe went over the top of Whirlipede, landing hard on the stage.

"Growlithe!" Callie shouted.

"Callie! You've got to get Growlithe out of there!" Wes shouted. "Roll Out is a Rock-type attack — it's super effective against a Fire-type like Growlithe!"

"Growlithe," Callie called. "Can you stand up?"

Growlithe stood up, a bit shakily, but nodded over his shoulder to Callie.

"No, Callie, don't make him battle!" Hugh shouted. "Roll Out is an attack that gets continuously stronger! One more hit from that Roll Out, and Growlithe is done for!"

Callie bit her lip — maybe they were right. . . . She did have Oshawott and Riolu, and the referee did say that she could always substitute her pokémon. . . . But Callie knew Growlithe was resilient, he had shown her just how resilient he was at the Virbank Complex when he still wanted to battle that Elekid, even after the beating he had taken. . . .

"Then we just can't get hit again," Callie said, clenching her fists.

"Whirlipede! Come on, finish it up with your Roll Out!" Roxie called.

"Growlithe! Use Agility!"

Whirlipede started towards Growlithe with blinding speed, and Callie knew that Hugh was right — one more hit from it, and Growlithe would be out. However, just as Whirlipede was about to make contact with Growlithe, the Fire-type pokémon disappeared in a flash. Roxie's eyes widened and she watched Whirlipede rolled right towards the edge of the stage, coming to a screeching halt right before rolling off into the sea of people. Growlithe then suddenly appeared in front of Callie, a determined smile on his face.

"Good job, Growlithe!" Callie said with a smile. She then looked across the stage to Roxie, whose look of shock turned into a smirk.

"I see — my pokémon isn't the only one with some speed," Roxie said with a smile. "Well, this is going to be interesting — Whirlipede! Venoshock!"

"Venoshock?" Callie whispered. "Get ready, Growlithe — I have no idea what the is."

Whirlipede suddenly fired multiple globs of purple liquid at Growlithe.

"Dodge it!" Callie exclaimed.

Growlithe nodded and quickly dodged all the globs of liquid. As each one hit the ground, the stage fizzled violently underneath it until the liquid finally seeped through the floor. Callie's eyes widened as she looked at Growlithe, who managed to dodge each one.

"What was that?" Callie said with wide eyes.

"Venoshock is a poison-type attack — all those purple globs are highly poisonous. Avoid it at all costs," Wes called from the front of the crowd.

Callie nodded. She had to land a hit — she couldn't keep dodging attacks, she had to play the offense. . . . But how? Whirlipede was so fast. . . .

An idea came to Callie suddenly and she smiled, a strategy forming in her mind.

"I got it! Okay, Growlithe! Flame Wheel!"

Growlithe took off towards Whirlipede, once again turning into a fiery ball, and Roxie laughed.

"This again? Whirlipede, you know what to do! Dodge it!"

Whirlipede took off at high speeds again, but this time, Callie knew what to do.

"Growlithe, keep up the Flame Wheel, but now — Agility again!"

Growlithe suddenly disappeared, and Roxie's Whirlipede came a sudden halt, looking around frantically for him. Then, just as quickly as he had disappeared, Growlithe reappeared in front of Whirlipede, still consumed in flames, and he collided into Roxie's Whirlipede, sending the Bug-type skidding across the ground.

"Nice job, Growlithe!" Callie called out, her heart racing with excitement — who would have guessed gym battles could be so invigorating?

"That was impressive, I'll admit," Roxie said. "But we're not out yet! Whirlipede, Poison Sting!"

"Counter with Ember, Growlithe!"

Whirlipede suddenly let forth several purple darts, all of them coming towards Growlithe at high speeds. However, Growlithe was quick to react, and he opened his mouth and shot multiple fiery bolts at Whirlipede. The two attack met in mid air, creating a small explosion and covering the stage in smoke.

"I can't see anything," Callie muttered, trying to peer through the smoke; she couldn't even see Growlithe.

"Now! Poison Sting again!" she heard Roxie call from across the stage.

"Growlithe!" Callie exclaimed. "D-dodge it! Please!"

"Growl!" Growlithe yelped, obviously hurt.

The smoke cleared and Callie saw Growlithe standing there, panting hard, a weird, purple tinted shadow across his face.

"Growlithe?" Callie called out. "Are you okay?"

"Looks like that Poison Sting was true to its aim," Roxie said with a smirk. "Your Growlithe is poisoned!"

"Poisoned?" Callie said. "No. . . . This isn't good."

"Call Growlithe back!" said Hugh from the side lines. "Send out another pokémon! Growlithe is just going to get weaker and weaker if you let him battle like this, Callie!"

Callie nodded, taking the Heal Ball in her hand. "You're right — Growlithe, return!"

The pink light flashed, reaching out for Growlithe, but, much to everyone's surprise, Growlithe leapt out of the way, glaring at Callie. The light disappeared and Growlithe continued to stare down his trainer, the purple shadow on his face darkening,

"Growlithe?" Callie whispered. "But. . . . Why?"

"Looks like your Growlithe still wants to battle," said Roxie with a smirk. "That's one determined pokémon."

"Is that true, Growlithe? You still want to battle?" Callie said.

Growlithe nodded, his body trembling ever so slightly. He was going to battle until he couldn't. . . . She then looked across the stage towards Roxie's Whirlipede and saw that it was also at the end of its rope, obviously growing too tired from the battle. It was anyone's win at this point. . . .

Callie gave a firm nod. "Well, alright then — let's finish this! Growlithe, Flame Wheel!"

"Dodge it, Whirlipede!" Roxie called.

Whirlipede rolled off, easily dodging the attack, and Growlithe stood in the spot where it had just been, glaring at Whirlipede.

"Now, Whirlipede! Venoshock!"

"Be careful, Callie!" Wes shouted. "Venoshock is even more powerful since Growlithe's been poisoned!"

"Use Agility to dodge it, Growlithe!" Callie called out.

Growlithe disappeared, easily dodging the poisonous, purple globs that rained down on the stage.

"Now, get in close!" Callie ordered.

"Use Poison Sting, keep Growlithe back!" Roxie ordered.

"Use Agility!" Callie called.

Before Whirlipede could transition from Venoshock to Poison Sting, Growlithe appeared behind it.

"Now, use Bite!"

Growlithe bit down onto one of the feelers on Whirlipede's back, and Roxie's pokémon let out a cry.

"Get out of there, Whirlipede!" Roxie called out.

"Not so fast — keep a hold on Whirlipede and use Flame Wheel!"

"What?"

Growlithe leapt into the air, taking Whirlipede with him as he kept his jaw locked around its feeler, and Growlithe began spinning, suddenly engulfed by flames. The fire also consumed Whirlipede, who let out a cry as it was spun around in the center of Growlithe's Flame Wheel.

"Whirlipede!" Roxie cried out.

"Now, let Whirlipede go and finish it off with Ember!"

Growlithe released his grip on Whirlipede and the Bug-type pokémon went flying, crashing into the stage. Then, while he was still in the air, Growlithe let forth his Ember attack, and Whirlipede was hit with a barrage of fire balls. Smoke rose from the ground as each fire ball hit, blocking Whirlipede's from everyone's view.

"That's enough, Growlithe!" Callie called out to her pokémon.

Growlithe's Ember attack ceased and he landed lightly on the ground, his feet a bit unsteady, the purple shadow on his face now much larger in size. He and Callie watched the smoke intensely, waiting for it to clear to see if Growlithe had been victorious. They weren't the only one's watching — the crowd was also watching, all of them holding their breath, waiting for the outcome. Soon, the smoke cleared, and everyone saw, laying on the stage, was Whirlipede, clearly unconscious.

"Whirlipede is unable to battle! Growlithe is the winner!" the referee called.

A sudden burst of cheering and hollering erupted from the crowd, and Callie smiled broadly as Roxie returned Whirlipede — they were off to a great start. But then she looked to Growlithe, who stood on the stage, trembling, on the verge of fainting.

"Growlithe, come back!" Callie called out. Growlithe slowly turned and returned to his trainer, standing before her.

Growlithe looked up at his trainer, the effects of the poison getting worse by the moment. Callie frowned and knelt beside him, gently petting the top of his head with one hand as she reached into her bag, pulling out the container of berries she had received from the shop owner the day before.

"A Pecha berry. . . . He said that cures poison, right?" Callie muttered as she pulled out a Pecha berry. She then held it out to Growlithe, who looked at it curiously.

"You'll feel better if you eat this, okay?"

Growlithe nodded and took the berry, eating it in one bite. Within moments, his eyes suddenly brightened and the purple shadow on his face disappeared, and Growlithe smiled, obviously feeling much better.

"That's better, isn't it?" Callie said with a grin. Growlithe nodded and licked Callie's cheek, which made her laugh loudly. She then patted his head and said, "You did great, Growlithe — now, how about you take a rest, huh? I may need you later."

"Growl," Growlithe said with nod, obviously agreeing.

Callie smiled and returned Growlithe to his pokéball before standing to her feet and looking across the stage to Roxie.

"You're pretty good, Callie," Roxie called across the stage. "Not many people can beat my Whirlipede with just one pokémon! This is really your first gym battle?"

Callie smiled, giving a confident nod. "It sure is!"

"Well, I'll have you know — I don't give out badges easily!" Roxie pulled out another pokéball, tossing it in the air. "Now, Grimer, let's roll!"

With a red flash, a slimy, amorphous blob-like Pokémon appeared. It looked to be made of purple sludge, and it had two large eyes with ready pupils, and a gaping mouth with a grey tongue.

"What is that?" Callie said with wide eyes, pulling out her PokéDex.

"Grimer, the Sludge Pokémon. It was born when sludge in a dirt stream was exposed to X-rays from the moon."

"I'm guessing it's a Poison-type pokémon," Callie muttered, putting away her PokéDex. She then pulled a pokéball from her belt — she didn't have a pokémon with a type advantage, so now it would just be a matter of skill.

"Riolu, I choose you!"

Riolu appeared on the stage in a red flash, looking ready to battle — Callie knew she could count on Riolu for a good battle.

"A Riolu, huh? This should be interesting," Roxie said with a smirk. "I hope you don't mind, Callie, but since you had the first move last time, I think I'll have the honors this time. Grimer, Mud-Slap!"

"Riolu, use Detect!"

Grimer took a deep breath and shot a stream of brown mud from its mouth towards Riolu, but Riolu's eyes began glowing green, and he was able to easily dodge the Mud Slap attack.

"Alright then — Grimer, use Disable!"

Grimer was suddenly outlined in light blue and Callie watched as Riolu's eyes stopped glowing green and began glowing light blue. His body became very still, and Roxie smiled.

"Well, looks like that Detect won't be a problem for a while," Roxie said with a smile.

"What did you do?" Callie said, watching Riolu with wide eyes.

"Disable stops the opponent from attacking," Wes called from the crowd. "Riolu won't be able to use Detect for a while now, Callie! You'll have to find other ways to defend yourself."

Callie frowned but nodded. Grimer stopped glowing and Riolu's eyes returned to normal, and he stood there, obviously confused by watch just happened.

"Now, let's see how well you dodge Grimer's attacks now!" Roxie said with a smile. "Grimer, try another Mud Slap!"

"Use Quick Attack to dodge it, Riolu!" Callie called out.

Riolu was able to easily dodge Grimer's attack, and he ran towards Grimer, ready to attack, when suddenly, Riolu came to a sudden halt, a disgusted look on his face.

"Riolu? What is it?" Callie called out.

Riolu covered his nose and turned away, looking as though he were going to be sick. Roxie laughed loudly from across the stage.

"Looks like Riolu can't handle Grimer's smell!" Roxie laughed. "You see, Grimer loves to eat trash, and its body is filled with tons of toxins and bacteria. Its true, Grimer is a pretty smelly, but look at those eyes! It's simply the cutest thing!"

"Cute?" Callie whispered. "I don't know if those are the exact words I'd use. . . . But still. . . . I have to find a way to attack Grimer. . . . But Riolu can't get close. . . ."

"Mud Slap, Grimer!"

"Dodge it, Riolu!"

However, Riolu was still dazed from Grimer's stench, and Grimer's Mud Slap hit him point blank, sending Riolu skidding across the stage.

"Riolu! Are you okay?" Callie called out.

Riolu gave a shaky nod and stood up, still covering his nose.

"It's no good, you can't get close enough to land a hit," Callie muttered. "We'll have to try long distance. . . ."

"Zor?"

Callie looked down and saw Zoro was standing right beside her, and he had placed his paw on her foot. Was he offering to battle? Callie smiled softly and shook her head.

"That's sweet, Zoro, but I've got to do this with my own pokémon," Callie said gently.

Zoro nodded and sat back down, looking up at her patiently while Callie tried to decide was to do. Riolu couldn't get in close to attack. Growlithe could use Ember for a long range attack, but he was still tired from his battle with Whirlipede. . . .

"I got it! Riolu, return!"

Callie returned Riolu to his pokéball and pulled another pokémon from her belt.

"Switching out pokémon?" Roxie called from across the stage. "Interesting!"

"I choose you, Oshawott!"

In a flash, Oshawott appeared before Callie on the stage. Oshawott looked around the crowd surrounding the stage, and his eyes widened and he began trembling.

"O-osha!" Oshawott cried, turning around and running back towards Callie. He flung his arms around Callie's leg, hiding his face.

"Oshawott, it's okay!" Callie said, kneeling down and pulling him away from her leg. She held Oshawott out in front of her, smiling. "Come on — I know the crowd is a bit scary, but this is a battle, okay? You like battling, right?"

"O-osh," Oshawott said with a nod.

"Now, I know we can win this battle, but I need you, okay? We can't win without you," Callie said encouragingly.

Oshawott was comforted by her words and he nodded, now looking determined.

"Osha!"

He leapt out of Callie's arms and turned around, looking at Grimer with a confident smile.

"Looks like your Oshawott has a case of stage fright," said Roxie with a grin. "That's unfortunate."

"It's nothing we can't handle, right, Oshawott?" Callie called out to her pokémon.

"Osha!"

"Well, I hope your Oshawott can handle Grimer's smell better than your Riolu!" Roxie laughed.

Callie smiled, nodding. "I'm one step ahead of you — Oshawott, use Water Gun!"

"Osha!"

Oshawott leapt into the air and shot a powerful Water Gun attack at Grimer, who took it head on. Grimer slid back several feet, obviously in pain.

"Grimer, use Mud Shot!"

"Counter with Water Gun again!"

The two attacks met with great force and caused a small explosion, both attacked voided out by one another. Grimer and Oshawott stared each other down from across the field.

"They're evenly matched," Callie muttered to herself. "Even Oshawott's Water Gun can't over power Grimer's Mud Slap. There's got to be someway to distract it. . . . Ah! Oshawott, Tail Whip!"

"Wott!"

Oshawott quickly turned around, his back facing Grimer, and began swaying his tail back and forth, trying to distract Grimer. At first, it didn't look as if it would work — in fact, Grimer was staring at Oshawott as though he were crazy for thinking something like that would work. But then, slowly, Grimer's face fell and it began watching Oshawott's tail moving from side to side, its beady eyes following each movement in a trance like state.

"Grimer, what are you doing?" Roxie called out. "Use Venoshock!"

"Quick, Oshawott! Use Water Gun again!"

Oshawott turned around quickly, and before Grimer could use Venoshock, Oshawott hit it with his Water Gun attack, causing Roxie to growl in frustration.

"Er — Grimer, use Mud Shot again!"

"Water Gun, Oshawott!"

The two pokémon attacked and once again, their attacks collided in the middle, equally matched, neither one giving way. Just like before, the two attacks caused a small explosion, this time with some kickback, sending Oshawott and Grimer sliding backwards in opposite directions.

Callie clenched her fists, racking her brain. There had to be some way to over power Grimer's Mud Shot attack, otherwise they couldn't win. . . .

"Grimer, use Disable!" Roxie called.

"Oshawott, Tail Whip again!"

Oshawott turned around and quickly began to wag his tail from side to side in an effort to distract Grimer. However, the Poison-type pokémon began glowing light blue, and Callie watched as Oshawott's eyes also began glowing blue, and he became very still quite suddenly. Then, just as quickly as it happened, the blue light disappeared, and both Grimer and Oshawott stopped glowing.

Callie frowned. "No more Tail Whip then. . . . Alright, it doesn't matter! We can still win this! Oshawott! Let's give it one more attack — give it everything you've got! Water Gun, let's go!"

Oshawott prepared for another Water Gun attack, but this time, something strange happened — his body was suddenly surrounded in a light-blue aura, similar to Grimer whenever it used Disable.

"Wh-what's happening?" Callie said with wide eyes.

"I think Oshawott is using Focus Energy!" Wes said in surprise.

"Hurry up and attack, Callie!" Hugh urged.

"R-right!" Callie said with a nod. "Oshawott, Water Gun!"

Oshawott leapt into the air and let forth yet another powerful Water Gun attack, but this one was unlike any other Water Gun he had ever used before. This Water Gun was not only bigger, but it had a blue aura surrounding it, just like the one surrounding Oshawott's body.

"Grimer! Mud Shot!" Roxie called.

Grimer fired off a Mud Shot attack, but it was a feeble attempt. The two attacks met, but this time, Oshawott's Water Gun attack easily over powered the Ground-type move, and it hit Grimer head on, sending him flying back, crashing into the ground at Roxie's feet, completely unconscious.

"Grimer is unable to battle! Oshawott is the winner!" the referee called from the side line.

Oshawott landed on the ground, panting heavily, but obviously proud as he stood there, chest swelling with pride as the crowd cheered wildly, the sound deafening.

Callie stood there in disbelief — she was one more battle away from taking the match, and she still had all three of her pokémon. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she could win.

"So, you beat my Grimer, huh?" Roxie said, returning the fainted Poison-type to its pokéball. "I gotta admit, you're pretty talented for a rookie trainer, Callie. I mean, I haven't even taken out one of your pokémon."

Callie smiled, feeling a bit confident, and opened her mouth to respond. But then she saw the look on Roxie's face — she was smiling, as if this were all amusing to her.

"I haven't had this much fun in a battle in a while! Get ready, Callie, because now the real show is about to begin!" Roxie said with a laugh, pulling out yet another pokéball. "This battle is far from over! Koffing — let's rock the house!"

In a red flash, Callie watched as a Koffing appeared — it was the same kind of pokémon Issac had used the day before at the Virbank Complex.

As Koffing took the stage, the ground began getting louder, obviously excited by what they were seeing. Callie couldn't help but wonder why though.

"I caught this Koffing while I was in Kanto," Roxie said. "I've had him ever since! He's what inspired me to start Koffing and the Toxics! And he's the strongest pokémon on my team! So get ready, Callie — we're not holding back!"

Callie smiled, giving a firm nod. "You got it! Oshawott, use Water Gun!"

"Koffing, use Assurance!" Roxie ordered.

Before Oshawott could even prepare an attack, Koffing was coming at him at full speed, and it was nothing like Callie had ever seen — Koffing was able to move faster than even Whirlipede! Koffing hit Oshawott hard, knocking his head against Oshawott's and sending the small otter-like pokémon flying backwards. Oshawott skidded across the ground and landed at Callie's feet, knocked out.

"Oshawott!" Callie called out, kneeling down and picking him up in her arms.

"Oshawott is unable to battle! Koffing is the winner!" the referee called.

Callie held Oshawott in her arms, and he slowly looked up at her, frowning softly.

"Osha. . . ," he sighed, obviously disappointed in himself.

Callie smiled gently. "You did a great job out there, Oshawott. You did exactly what I needed you to do. Now, you take a much deserved rest."

Callie returned Oshawott to his pokéball and stood up, looking across the field to Koffing, who was floating in the air, smirking across the field at Callie.

"He's so fast," Callie muttered. "I'll just have to counter speed with speed. . . . Okay! Growlithe, come on out!"

Once again, Growlithe took the stage, still looking tired from his earlier battle with Koffing.

"Growlithe again, huh? Interesting!" Roxie called. "You really think Growlithe can beat my Koffing — you can't counter his speed or his power!"

"We're going to try, aren't we, Growlithe?" Callie called.

"Grow," Growlithe grunted. He definitely didn't have the same energy as he did during the first match.

"Alright, Growlithe, Agility!" Callie called out.

As Growlithe took off, disappearing and reappearing randomly on the field, Roxie smirked.

"I see — trying to match my Koffing's speed, huh?" Roxie said with a laugh. "I'm afraid that just won't work!"

"Huh?"

"Koffing! Use Smog!"

Koffing opened his mouth and released a thick green fog that covered the entire stage. Callie covered her mouth, trying not to inhale any as she looked around for Growlithe.

_Please be okay, Growlithe, _Callie thought.

Soon enough the Smog attack cleared, and Growlithe was revealed to be standing there, trembling, his face covered in a dark purple shadow once again — he was poisoned.

"Growlithe, no!" Callie cried out, her eyes wide.

Roxie smiled. "Now, finish it off with Venoshock, Koffing!"

"Use Agility to dodge it, Growlithe!" Callie called.

Growlithe took off just as Koffing began shooting purple globs onto the field. Callie thought that maybe they would get away, but as Growlithe appeared behind Koffing, Roxie's pokémon quickly turned and hit Growlithe point blank, sending Growlithe flying backwards.

"Growl!"

"No!" Callie exclaimed.

Growlithe landed a few feet in front of Callie, laying on his side, motionless.

"Growlithe is unable to battle! Koffing is the winner!" announced the referee.

Callie ran forward onto the field, careful to avoid some of the remains of Koffing's Venoshock attack. She pulled another Pecha berry out of her bag and knelt beside Growlithe, putting his head in her lap.

"Come on, eat the berry," Callie urged.

Slowly, Growlithe took the berry, and the purple shadow faded from his face, and he looked immediately better. He smiled weakly up at Callie, and she patted his head gently.

"I know you did your best, Growlithe — thank you. Now, rest in your pokéball. Leave the rest to me and Riolu."

Callie returned Growlithe to his pokéball, and soon enough, she was standing back on her end of the field, her mind reeling. Just moments ago, she had a clear advantage over Roxie. But now, she was tied with the gym leader, both trainers left with only one pokémon to battle. Callie pulled Riolu's pokéball off her belt and took a deep breath.

"This is it, Riolu — I'm counting on you!" Callie said, tossing Riolu's pokéball into the air.

Riolu appeared on the field, looking ready to battle — he had taken a hit from Grimer's Mud Shot, but he still seemed full of energy.

"Alright, well, let's see what you're really made of!" Roxie called from across the stage. "Koffing is too fast and too strong — your Riolu doesn't stand a chance."

"We'll just see about that," Callie said, smiling. "Riolu, use Quick Attack!"

"Koffing, Tackle, let's go!"

Riolu took off towards Koffing and before Koffing could even make a move, Riolu collided against him, knocking Koffing back a few feet. Roxie's eyes widened slightly, obviously surprised.

"How did your Riolu land a hit before Koffing?" Roxie said.

"Riolu's speed is already impressive, and when you add his Quick Attack to the mix, not even your Koffing can beat him," Callie said.

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Roxie. "Koffing, use Smog!"

"Riolu, use Dig to dodge it!" Callie called out.

Koffing covered the field in the same thick green fog once again, but Riolu escaped just in time, using Dig to dive into the ground. Slowly, the fog cleared, but Riolu was still no where to be seen.

"Alright, now, hit Koffing with Dig!" Callie called out.

"Get out of the way, Koffing!"

The ground beneath Koffing began trembling, and Riolu suddenly burst up and out of the ground, heading straight for Koffing. However, Koffing easily dodged the attack, floating higher into the air.

Roxie laughed. "You really thought that would work? Koffing's Levitate ability makes Ground-type attack pretty much useless unless he's on the ground!"

"But it worked yesterday," Callie muttered, thinking back to her battle with Issac's Koffing. However, his Koffing had been much closer to the ground, and Riolu was able to make contact. But Roxie's Koffing was levitating roughly ten feet int he air. They'd have to get him stationed on the ground — but how?

Callie smirked softly, an idea forming in her head. "I've got it! Alright, Riolu use Quick Attack!"

"Koffing, use Venoshock!"

"Use Detect, Riolu!"

Luckily for Callie, Grimer's Disable attack at worn off, and as Riolu rushed towards Koffing with his Quick Attack, his eyes began to glow green as he managed to easily avoid all of Koffing's purple sludge globs. He leapt into the air, hitting Koffing hard as the two collided, and Koffing lowered some, but still not enough for Riolu to land a powerful hit from the ground.

"Koffing, use Assurance! Roxie called.

"Let him get close, Riolu!" Callie shouted.

Riolu listened to what Callie said and they watched as Koffing came rushing towards him at full speed. He was getting closer and closer and closer, and then —

"Dig, now!"

In a flash, Riolu leapt backwards and dug into the ground, disappearing from view. Koffing, unable to stop himself in time, crashed into the ground. Riolu resurfaced a few feet away, smiling devilishly as he watched Koffing slowly get back in the air. Callie's jaw clenched — she had hoped Koffing would get lodged into the hole, but he managed to just miss it.

"Koffing, use Tackle!" Roxie ordered.

"Wait for it, Riolu!" Callie called — they were going to win this.

Koffing rushed towards Riolu once again, determined to make contact, but Callie was ready.

"Jump up, now!" Callie ordered.

Riolu jumped into the air, gaining impressive height.

Roxie laughed. "Follow it into the air, Koffing, and use Tackle!" She then looked to Callie, smirking. "You've left Riolu completely defenseless up there!"

However, much to Roxie's surprise, Callie smiled, her eyes shining. "Not quite!" Then, Callie turned her attention towards Riolu, who was watching as Koffing came barreling towards him at impressive speeds.

"Alright, Riolu — _Force Palm_!"

"Ri!"

_"What?"_ Roxie shouted.

Riolu held out his paw as Koffing came racing towards him, and the moment Koffing made contact, Riolu let forth a powerful flash of yellow light that sent Koffing flying towards the ground — it was the same attack Riolu had used against Growlithe that morning. Koffing smashed into the ground, lodging himself in the hole that Riolu had just escaped from moments earlier.

"Koffing, get out of that hole!" Roxie called.

Koffing struggled, but it was pointless — he was trapped in the hole. Callie smiled and nodded to Riolu, who knew what was about to come next.

"Riolu, into the ground!" Callie called.

Riolu quickly disappeared into the ground, burrowing under the stage.

"Koffing, you've got to get up!" Roxie shouted.

"Now — use Dig!"

With great force, Koffing was suddenly freed from the hole he had been stuck in as Riolu crashed into him, and Koffing quickly came tumbling back down and crashed into the stage, unconscious. Riolu hoisted himself from the hole, smiling broadly.

_"Koffing is unable to battle! Riolu is the winner! Which means this battle goes to the challenger, Callie Freer!"_

The din was deafening. Someone standing outside the building may have thought some sort of explosion had taken place as the crowd cheered wildly. Callie stood there, momentarily dazed — she had won?

Callie was quickly brought to her senses by none other than Hugh, who had hoisted himself onto the stage to congratulate her.

"You did it, Callie! I can't believe it!" Hugh shouted.

Callie blinked slowly before a wide smile spread across her face, and she pushed past Hugh, running towards Riolu.

"You did it, Riolu!" Callie cheered, scooping the pokémon up into her arms. "I can't believe you did it! You beat Koffing!"

"Ri-ri!" Riolu said happily, embracing his trainer.

"You really looked like you knew what you were doing there."

Callie and Riolu paused their celebration and looked up, smiling when they realized it was Roxie who had spoken.

"Your pokémon put up a great battle, but I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised you won," Roxie said with a sheepish grin. "But, still, here you go — you've earned it."

Roxie held out her hand, which was closed around something, and Callie extended her open hand. Then Roxie dropped something into Callie's palm, and she looked down, smiling — it was a gym badge.

"That badge right there is the Toxic Badge! It's proof that you have what it takes to beat me," Roxie said with a smile. Then she turned to the crowd, which was still cheering wildly. "How about one more cheer for our winner, Miss Callie Freer!"

The crowd began cheering wildly again, and Callie and Riolu were joined by Hugh, who smiled broadly next to them. Zoro leapt up onto her shoulder, nuzzling against her, and Callie and Riolu beamed out across the crowd.

"You beat Roxie!" Hugh cheered loudly.

Callie, Zoro, Riolu, and Hugh eventually slipped off the stage, rejoining Wes on the ground, and the ground of friends made their way back to the bar area, where three people gladly offered them their seats.

"What a show!"

"Great job up there!"

"I'd love to battle you some time!"

"I can't believe you beat Roxie!"

"Your Growlithe is so cool!"

"I bet you and your Oshawott spend hours a day training, huh?"

"Man, your Riolu is just the best!"

Callie was surrounded by people offering her their praise for her performance, and it was beginning to get a bit overwhelming, but soon, Roxie's voice rang throughout the building.

"Alright, now that we've warmed up with a battle — how about we get on with the show?"

The crowd cheered and the concert commenced, allowing Callie and her friends to celebrate her victory.

A couple hours later, the concert was over, and people began filing out of the gym all of them heading back to wherever they were staying for the night. Callie had long since returned Riolu to his pokéball, and Zoro had somehow fallen asleep despite all the noise from the concert, so she was carrying him in her arms. She, Wes, and Hugh were at the very end of the line, so they were the last to leave the building. However, before they could step through the door and into the night life of Virbank City, Wes, who had been walking next to Callie, suddenly stopped as two hands clasped themselves around his arm.

"Uh-uh, not so fast, cutie."

The trio of friends stopped and turned, only to see that it was Roxie who had taken a hold of Wes.

Wes's face flushed slightly. "Er — y-yes, Roxie?"

"You're a trainer, right?" Roxie said with a smile. Wes nodded and Roxie continued. "Well, if you came to Virbank City, I can only assume that it was to get a gym badge from me, wasn't it?"

"That's the plan," said Wes, trying to free himself from Roxie's grasp.

"Well, then, how about we have a gym battle two days from now? I've got a few things I have to do before then. How about it? We'll meet here around noon. Sound good?"

Wes smiled and gave a firm nod. "Sounds good to me!"

"What about me, Roxie?" Hugh blurted out, thrusting himself between Wes and Roxie, managing to free Wes from her. "I'm a trainer too, and I'd love to battle you! Please?"

"Er — yeah, okay, we can battle after I battle your friend there. Alright?" Roxie said, obviously not nearly as interested in Hugh as she was in Wes.

However, this didn't seem to bother Hugh in the slightest, as he pumped his fist in the air.

"Yes! I've got a battle with Roxie! Awesome!" Then, his eyes suddenly widened. "Oh, man! I need to have Nurse Joy look at my pokémon! I better get going! Wes, Callie, I'll see you two at the Pokémon Center!"

And with that, Hugh took off through the door, leaving Wes, Callie, and Roxie alone.

"Well, we should probably head out, too," said Wes sheepishly, inching away from Roxie. "You need to take your pokémon to Nurse Joy, don't you, Callie?"

Callie nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'm really worried about Growlithe."

The two turned to leave, but Roxie stopped them.

"Wait!"

Wes and Callie paused, looking back towards Roxie.

"What's your name?" Roxie said, looking at Wes.

"Me? I'm Wes," he said simply.

"Your full name," Roxie said, laughing. "For the gym match, remember?"

Wes made an odd face but complied. "Weston Gates."

Callie stiffened, and she felt suddenly dizzy as her face paled some.

"W-weston . . . Gates?" she said, her voice shaking.

Both Roxie and Wes looked at her quizzically.

"Yeah, that's my full name," Wes said. Then, his face creased with worry, and he reached out towards her. "Callie, are you okay, you don't look so good. . . ."

But before he could lay a hand on her, Callie turned on her heel and bolted out the door, leaving Roxie and Wes standing there alone in the gym.

_"Callie!"_ she heard Wes cry out behind her. "Where are you going?"

But Callie didn't stop, not even for a second. Zoro was startled by Callie's outburst, and he woke up and looked at her as she ran, just as confused as everyone else was by her sudden reaction. However, Callie kept running. Her feet slapped against the pavement with each step she took, hoping she could find her way back to the Pokémon Center in this unfamiliar city. Lucky for her, she did, and she ran straight through the glass doors of the Pokémon Center, where she came to a sudden halt in the lobby.

Nurse Joy looked up from the front desk, obviously concerned.

"Callie? Are you alright?" Nurse Joy said as she ran out from behind her desk to check on her.

Callie nodded her head, managing to pull the three pokéballs off her belt and hold them out to Nurse Joy.

"Please look at my pokémon," she managed to say. "I-I'm gonna go to bed."

"But you look like you've seen a ghost!" said Nurse Joy, taking the pokéballs from her.

Callie said nothing else, and instead she walked back to her room, Zoro still sitting comfortably in her arms. Once the two of them where safely in their room, Callie sat down on her bed, letting go of Zoro, and reached into her bag, pulling out her history book. There, tucked within the pages of the book, was the report she had written for class. She had read it aloud the day Celebi taken her back in time. Callie read over the paper again, pausing when she read the short few sentences she had written.

_'One man rose to the occasion and attempted to stop Team Plasma — a man by the name of Weston Gates. He and his pokémon fought vigilantly, but in the end, he was defeated and was never seen again.'_

"It can't be him," Callie muttered to herself, flipping through the pages of her history book. "I know it can't — it's a coincidence. It can't be him, it just can't —"

She froze when her eyes fell on an image of a boy who looked exactly like Wes, who stood in the photo posed with an Emboar next to him, both smiling happily. Under the photo in small, italicized print, were the words, _'Weston Gates and his partner Emboar, just after receiving Nimbasa City Gym Badge.'_

Callie's paper slipped from her hand and settled on the floor as she stared at the photo — there was no doubt that the boy in the photo was her very friend Wes.

There was a sudden knock on her door, and Callie's head snapped up.

"Who is it?" Callie called.

"It's me — er, Wes."

Callie quickly shoved her book away into her bag. "C-come in."

The door slowly opened and Wes stepped inside, smiling softly.

"Hey there," said Wes.

"H-hey," Callie said gently.

"You, uh. . . . Want to tell me what all that was about back there at the gym?" Wes said curiously.

Callie sighed. "I couldn't even begin to explain it."

Wes smiled softly and sat down on the bed beside her. "Go ahead a try."

Callie laughed softly, shaking her head. "I really couldn't even if I tried. . . ."

"Fine, fine. . . . You sure you're okay though? You looked awfully sick back there."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I-I think the adrenaline from my gym battle wore off, and I was just feeling tired," Callie said sheepishly.

Wes chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm not surprised. You and your pokémon really gave it your all out there! You really proved yourself."

"You think?" Callie said, her eyes widening some — Weston Gates, one of the most famous pokémon trainers in Unova history, was giving her a compliment?

"No doubt," said Wes. "I'm really glad you decided to try gym battles. You and your pokémon are perfect for them."

"Th-thanks, Wes, that means a lot," Callie said with a small blush on her cheeks.

"No problem," said Wes with a smile. He looked at Callie, holding her gaze for a moment, and he opened his mouth as if to say something. However, it appeared as if he had decided against it, and he shook he is head, smiling to himself.

"Well, I guess I should let you get some rest," said Wes, standing up. "I probably need to get some sleep too — I guess I should probably start training for my battle with Roxie."

Callie nodded and Wes made a move to walk out of her room, but paused when he stepped on something. He bent down and Callie watched as he picked up her report that had fallen on the ground.

"What's this?" said Wes curiously, looking at the piece of paper.

"I-it's nothing!" Callie said quickly, reaching for it. "It's just some dumb writing of mine — nothing important. Don't worry about it, really —"

"Oh, some _writing_? Like a journal entry?" Wes smiled teasingly, holding the paper just out of Callie's reach. "Let me see. . . ."

"No, Wes, don't!" Callie exclaimed, leaping off the bed and onto Wes's back, knocking them both to the ground.

"Ow — Callie, jeez, calm down!" Wes said, pushing her off of him. He sat up, making sure to keep Callie at arms length so she couldn't snatch it. "If it's just some dumb writing, let me read it."

"Please, don't," Callie whimpered.

However, despite her protest, Wes took a few moments to glance over the writing, managing to quickly read the paper. Callie bit her lip nervously and sat there very still, waiting for him to finish. Once he was done reading the paper, Wes slowly placed it back on the ground and looked up at Callie.

"What. . . . What did I just read?" Wes said quietly.

"I told you, it's just some dumb writing of mine," Callie said half-heartedly.

Wes clenched his fists. "Don't lie to me, Callie — _what is that_?"

Callie frowned, looking away from him. "You won't believe me. . . ."

_"What is it?"_ Wes said, this time much louder.

"I-it's a report I wrote for my history class," Callie said quietly.

"History class?" Wes echoed. "That doesn't make any sense. . . . Team Plasma hasn't taken over the world. And. . . . And you wrote that I tried to stop Team Plasma, but I was defeated and never seen again."

"That's because. . . . That's because it's going to happen, Wes! It just. . . . It hasn't happened yet," said Callie.

Wes's eyes widened._ "What?"_

Callie took a deep breath.

_Here goes nothing, _she thought.

"Wes. . . . I-I'm not from this time. I'm from twenty one years in the future, where Team Plasma has taken over, you're no where to be found, and pokémon and humans can't be friends. My life was relatively normal up until a few days ago when Zoro brought me to meet his friend Celebi, and Celebi told me that I'm the only one it could trust to go back and stop Team Plasma from taking over. It sent me back in time to stop Team Plasma, so now I'm trying to get strong enough to stop them," Callie said quickly.

Wes stared at Callie for a moment, completely silent. His face was unreadable. Then, suddenly, Wes stood up and said, "You're insane."

He headed for the door and Callie scrambled to her feet, reaching for his hand.

"Wes, wait!"

"Stay away from me!" Wes snapped, pulling away from her. "Something is seriously wrong with you! Celebi is a legend! You're not from the future, Callie, and you haven't been sent here on some mission to stop Team Plasma!"

"But, Wes," Callie said softly. "I'm not lying! Please, you've got to believe me!"

"No, I've got to get you some help," Wes said, reaching for the door knob. "I'm going to go get Nurse Joy."

"No!"

"Zor!"

Suddenly, Zoro leapt up from the bed, putting himself between Wes and the door. He was growling lowly, and his body became surrounded by a red aura. Wes quickly backed away from the door, not wanting to risk being attacked by Zoro, and Zoro's body returned to normal.

Wes looked between Zoro and Callie, obviously panicking.

"Zoro? What, are you saying she's telling the truth?" Wes said, staring at the fox-like pokémon.

Zoro nodded and Wes looked back to Callie. "You two. . . . You aren't lying, are you?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," said Callie, frowning some.

"And you're . . . from the future?"

Callie nodded slowly. "Er. . . . Yes."

"And you're going to stop Team Plasma?"

"Right again."

"And, in the future, I tried to stop Team Plasma?"

"Right."

"And. . . . In the future. . . . I just disappeared after being defeated by Team Plasma, and no body knows why?" Wes looked at Callie with wide eyes, as if hoping he didn't already know the answer.

Callie nodded her head very slowly. "No one's seen you in twenty years, Wes."

Wes slowly nodded, as if he was only partially aware of what he was saying. Callie noticed that he was swaying where he stood and looked awfully dazed.

"Right. . . . You're from the future . . . and I try to stop Team Plasma . . . and . . . apparently . . . just fall off the face of the Earth," Wes muttered to himself, beginning to pale.

Callie quickly rushed to his side, trying to steady him.

"Wes, are you okay?" Callie said, panicking.

"Oh, I'm great. . . . Just dandy," Wes said. "I'm just gonna . . . try to process all of . . . this."

And then, quite suddenly, Wes fell backwards on to the floor, completely unconscious. Callie stood there, looking at Wes's fainted form. Then, letting out an annoyed sigh, Callie hoisted Wes to his feet.

"I told you not to read the damn paper," she grunted under her breath, heaving him on the bed. "But no, you just _had_ to read it. . . ."

After she got Wes somewhat situated in her bed, Callie sat at the foot of the bed, watching him rest. Zoro jumped up beside her and looked at her curiously. She smiled softly at the pokémon and reached down, petting his head.

"Oh, Zoro. . . . We have a long day ahead of us," she muttered, shaking her head. "I can only imagine the conversation we'll have in the morning. . . ."

Callie sighed and leaned her head back against the wall, her mind reeling — the day had started with the movies, then, after a very intense battle, she won her first gym battle. That would have been the best way to end her day, but instead, it ended with her telling her new friend that she was actually sent here from the future, and that in her time, he's presumed dead.

"Never a boring day," Callie muttered to herself before somehow drifting to sleep at the foot of the bed, Zoro in her lap, and Wes sprawled across the rest of the bed.


	7. Meeting Old Friends!

Chapter Seven

The next morning Callie woke up, and she could feel she was laying next to something very warm. Her eyes slowly opened and she saw that she was laying right next to Wes, who was still sleeping. Apparently, at some point during the night, she had moved her way from the end of the bed to right beside Wes. Callie's eyes immediately widened and she let out a small yelp as she scrambled away from him, quickly crawling to the end of the bed where Zoro was fast asleep. Woken by her sudden movements, Zoro lazily lifted his head and blinked slowly, looking at Callie with a curious expression. However, when he saw her flustered appearance and her wide eyes set on Wes, he quickly connected the dots and sniggered to himself.

"Oh, shut up, Zoro," Callie whispered, her cheeks still a deep shade of scarlet. "It's not funny."

"Mmm. . . . Callie?"

Callie and Zoro looked away from each other and towards Wes, who apparently had just woken up, looking very confused as he peered down at the end of the bed towards the two of them.

"What are you two doing in my room?" Wes muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Erm — this is my room, Wes," Callie said quietly.

"Your room?" Wes muttered. He slowly sat up and brushed some of his hair from his face, still looking dazed. "Y'know, it's weird, I had a dream I came to your room last night — after we had gotten back from your gym battle. I found this paper you had written, and then you told me you and Zoro were from the future, and that in your time, I'm dead. . . . How crazy is that?"

Wes chuckled lightly to himself and looked towards Callie to see her expression, but he suddenly stopped laughing when he saw her bite her lip nervously and shake her head.

"That . . . wasn't a dream," Callie said.

Wes stared at her for a second. "That wasn't a dream? So, everything that I thought I dreamed actually . . . _happened_?"

Callie nodded. "You found a report I'd written for my history class," she said as she got off the bed. Callie walked over to the bedside table and grabbed the paper off it, holding it out to Wes, who took the paper from her and began to read it over. "You, uh, didn't take the news so great, and kind of freaked out. And then you, uh — well, you fainted."

Wes said nothing as he read over the paper, memories of the night before coming back to him. Once he finished the paper he looked up at Callie, his face solemn.

"I. . . . I remember," Wes said softly. He frowned, shaking his head. "I. . . . I don't understand though. People don't just time travel, Callie."

"I know people don't, but Celebi _can_," Callie said. "And Celebi brought Zoro and I here to stop Team Plasma."

Wes shook his head. "No, no, it just. . . . It's not possible. I wish I could believe you, Callie, but it's just too crazy. I mean, Celebi? The legendary pokémon? It doesn't make sense."

"I'm not lying, Wes, you've got to believe me," Callie pleaded.

"Then prove it. Prove to me you're not just crazy," Wes snapped.

Callie wanted to pull her hair out — how could she prove something like that? However, then she remembered her history book, which she had tucked safely away into her bag. She quickly retrieved it and began flipping through the pages, trying to find the chapter about Wes.

"Isn't that the text book you said was a misprint?" Wes said curiously as he watched her.

"Er — yeah. I lied about that," Callie said simply, not bothering to look up at him. Once she found the chapter, she held the book out to him, scowling ever so slightly, and said, _"Read."_

Wes gave her an odd look but took the book and began scanning over the text. Callie watched as several expressions came across Wes's face — surely he hadn't been expecting to read about himself in a history book. However, he only made it through a few paragraphs before he snapped the book shut and looked up at Callie, his brows furrowed.

"This . . . is all about me," Wes muttered. "It's things that have already happened, and things that haven't yet. . . . I beat the Nimbasa City Gym?"

Callie nodded. "You do a lot more than just that, Wes. In my time, you're famous."

"Famous?" Wes echoed. He let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "That may be so, but I'm also dead in your time."

Callie frowned and Wes stood, shaking his head. "I can't believe it. . . . Within the next year, I. . . . I'm going to die."

"Don't say that," Callie said softly. "You don't know that."

_"Don't know that?"_ Wes snapped, his voice rising. "You just said so yourself that I'm dead in your time! I'm going to _die_, Callie! _My days are numbered!_"

Callie opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Instead, Wes continued.

"I'm only nineteen! I don't want to die! There's so much I want to do," he said, obviously beginning to panic.

"You have to calm down," Callie said quickly. "Take a deep breath, please, Wes. I need you to keep a leveled head."

Wes took a deep, steady breath, managing to calm himself. When he spoke though, he voice was still wavering. "So. . . . You're tell me that if I keep trying to be a pokémon trainer . . . I'll die?"

Callie frowned — this _definitely_ wasn't a conversation she had planned on having.

"Erm, well I guess that's one way of putting it," Callie said gently.

Wes sighed heavily and pushed himself off the bed, standing on his feet. "Well, then I guess that settles it. I'm going to call it quits."

_"What?" _Callie said incredulously.

Wes shrugged. "I don't want to die, Callie. So, if that means I have to find some other path aside from being a trainer, then I will. I'm sure being a breeder would be pretty safe. . . . Some regions have coordinators. . . . Hm. . . . Maybe photography, like Mom, she'd love that. . . ."

As Wes stood there, rambling on about the other potential career paths, Callie stood across from him, fists clenched and body trembling — the mighty Weston Gates stood before her, ready to give up on his dreams of being a pokémon master. . . . He was the only one that stood up to Team Plasma before. He had been their only hope. And now he was running away?

"I could try to be a pokémon ranger, but I guess that's just as dangerous," Wes continued to mutter.

"Er — _shut up_!" Callie finally shouted. Wes jumped, startled by Callie's outburst. "Just — shut up, okay? I don't want to hear you say that!"

"W-what?" Wes stammered.

"You can't just run and hide," Callie snapped. "In my time, you're the only one who stood up to Team Plasma! Without you, that just leaves —"

"_You_, Callie! That just leaves _you_!" Wes snapped, narrowing his eyes at her. "You don't have to worry about getting hurt. If what you're saying is true, which it _apparently_ is, you have Celebi, the _legendary pokémon_, watching over you! Nothing bad can happen to you, because you have someone to protect you! But who do I have, Callie? Huh? Who's going to protect me?"

Wes's face faltered, and his angry scowl turned into a frown. Callie caught a glimpse of his teary eyes, but Wes hastily looked away from her. Callie paused, her heart wrenching — of course, how did she not realize it sooner? She couldn't fault him for not wanting to continue. She wouldn't want to do it herself if she knew she was going to die. But Wes knew, and now, very understandably so, he was scared. But she had no way to comfort him, no words to offer. . . .

_"You will find your partner. . . ."_

Celebi's words echoed through her head, and Callie froze for a moment. Why would she remember that one sentence at a time like this? Unless. . . .

Callie reached out and placed a gentle hand on Wes's shoulder, and he became quite still. "You do have someone there to protect you. . . . You have all your pokémon, and. . . . Well, you have me."

Callie watched as Wes's head instantly snapped up, and he stared at her, his mouth slightly ajar.

"But . . . why?" he managed to say.

"Back when Celebi first brought me here, it said it brought me to the perfect time and place to get my pokémon, but then it also said I would find my partner," Callie said. "I assumed by partner it was referring to Oshawott, but now I think. . . . I think Celebi knew I would run into you, Wes. I think Celebi wanted me to find you and for the two of us to team up!"

Wes looked at Callie with a blank expression. "Are you serious?"

"Think about it!" Callie said, her eyes widening as the realization set in. "I was sent back in time to stop Team Plasma from taking over — you're the only one who stood up to Team Plasma before! So, if you and I work together, then maybe we can stop Team Plasma!"

"But I'll die if I try!" Wes snapped.

Callie shook her head. "Well, we don't know if you died — we just know that you when missing. B-but everything is different now — I'm here."

"What can you do?" Wes said.

"I can protect you!" Callie said firmly.

Wes stared at her. "You. . . . You'd do that?"

Callie nodded. "Wes, if you promise to keep trying to be a pokémon trainer, and you help me defeat Team Plasma, I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

Wes bit his lip, and Callie saw tears brimming his eyes. She expected him to look away again, but instead Wes wrapped his arms around her, pulling Callie tightly against him.

She felt her face flush and she looked over his shoulder to Zoro, who sat on the bed, sniggering at the two of them.

"W-wes? Wh-what are you doing?" Callie stammered.

"Thank you," Wes said softly. "Thank you, Callie."

"I-I. . . . I don't. . . . I-I just. . . . Er. . . . You're welcome," Callie said softly, returning the hug.

Then, without any warning, the door to Callie's room flung open followed by a very loud, "_RISE AND SHINE, CALLIE! IT'S TIME TO_ — oh my Arceus."

Callie and Wes jumped and quickly pulled apart, both of them looking towards the door, only to find none other than Hugh standing in the doorway, staring at them.

"Do you two need a moment?" Hugh said with a grin.

Wes rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Hugh?"

Hugh smiled. "I was just coming to see if Callie wanted to go get breakfast, and then maybe do some training. But apparently you two have some other plans."

"Hugh, shut up," Wes said with a sigh, shaking his head.

"Training?" Callie echoed.

Hugh, obviously pleased to have annoyed Wes, beamed broadly as he nodded. "Mhmm! I have my battle with Roxie coming up, so I want to make sure I'm ready. And after watching you go against her last night and seeing how much stronger you got. . . . I just have to battle you again! You're such an amazing trainer!"

"That was just luck, Hugh," Callie said sheepishly, waving her hand dismissively.

"Are you kidding me? Just luck?" Hugh laughed. "The way you had Growlithe hold on to Whirlipede and use Flame Wheel, or how Riolu defeated Koffing by lodging it in a hole. . . . That wasn't just luck, Callie! You have some amazing strategies, and I just have to battle you again!"

Callie blinked slowly. "Y-you really think so?"

"Oh, I know so," said Hugh.

Callie opened her mouth to protest, but Wes spoke up.

"He's right, y'know, Callie," he said. "In just a matter of days, you and your pokémon have grown considerably."

Callie blushed slightly — that meant a lot coming from someone like him

"W-well, thanks, you guys, but I don't think I'm going to be doing any battling today. My pokémon need plenty of rest after last night," Callie said with a laugh.

_"Awe, man,"_ Hugh groaned.

"You know, I think that's probably for the best, Callie," Wes said with a smile. "I was thinking about heading to Route 20 and doing some training there before my battle with Roxie tomorrow. Maybe you could come along and offer some suggestions."

"You want training tips from me?" Callie said with a soft smile.

Wes nodded and Hugh frowned "Hey! What about me? Don't you want my input?" Hugh shouted impatiently.

Wes chuckled lightly. "You can come along too, if you'd like, Hugh."

"I would like that, as a matter of fact!" Hugh said stubbornly. Then, right on cue, his stomach let out a loud growl, and Hugh's face flushed as he placed a hand over his stomach. "But, uh, first, how about some breakfast?"

So, after breakfast, the three friends grabbed their bags and started to head out. Before they left though, Callie stopped by the front desk, where Nurse Joy sat, typing something into the computer.

"Nurse Joy," Callie said softly. "How are my pokémon doing today?"

Nurse Joy looked up from the screen and smiled. "You're pokémon are doing much better! However, I think they need a bit more rest before they go into battle again."

Callie nodded. "I figured as much — do you mind keeping them for a bit longer?"

"Not at all," said Nurse Joy with a smile.

"Perfect — well, we're heading out. We'll be back alter tonight!" Callie said with a smile before she and Zoro turned and left, meeting Hugh and Wes outside.

"Took you long enough," groaned Hugh. "What were you doing in there?"

"Checking on my pokémon," said Callie. "Nurse Joy says they need a bit more rest, so they're going to stay here today."

"Well, that's not a problem," said Wes. "You and I can battle each other, Hugh! How does that sound?"

"Alright! I get to battle you? That's even better than battling Callie!" Hugh exclaimed, pumping his fists in the air.

"Well _thanks_, Hugh," Callie said with a roll of her eyes.

The three laughed and they set off towards Route 20, ready for what seemed to be a fun, relaxing afternoon. Little did they know, however, what an interesting turn their day would take.

Several hours later, Callie found herself sitting in a clearing, watching Hugh and Wes battle against each other. The two boys had been at it for quite a while, and they had been using the same two pokémon — Snivy and Tepig. Both pokémon were growing tired, but the training proved to be useful, as both of them were showing great improvement from when they had started.

"Alright, Tepig, use Ember!" Wes directed.

"Snivy, use Leaf Tornado to keep Ember away!" Hugh ordered.

"No, not that move!" Callie shouted, her eyes wide.

However, it was too late — Snivy surrounded itself with the Leaf Tornado, and Tepig fired several small fireballs at it. Snivy's Leaf Tornado immediately went up in flames, and Snivy let out a cry before the Leaf Tornado suddenly died down, revealing a fainted Snivy.

"No, Snivy!" Hugh called out, running to the side of his Snivy.

Callie dug in her bag for her berry container and pulled out a Sitrus berry. She ran over to Hugh and Snivy, kneeling down beside them.

"Here, Snivy, eat this," Callie said gently, holding it out to it.

Snivy sniffed it and took the berry from her, taking a bite out of it.

"What's that?" Hugh said.

"A Sitrus berry," Callie said, stroking the top of Snivy's head. "They have a similar effect to Oran berries, but they're more effective."

"Huh," Hugh grunted, watching as Snivy instantly brightened up. "You know a lot about berries."

"The clerk at the store gave me a bunch of free berries and a guide — I was able to read a good bit of it and learned a few things about berries; it was pretty useful!"

"If you say so," Hugh muttered. "So, how did you know using Leaf Tornado to block Ember was a bad idea?"

"The type-match up," said Callie simply. "Don't you remember you coached me on match ups during our first battle?"

"I guess you're right," Hugh said, scratching his head. "I was just so caught up int he moment, I didn't think about how the Ember attack would just burn up the Leaf Tornado like that. I just thought it would work. . . ."

"You've got to learn to get out of your head," said Wes, returning his Tepig and walking towards the two of them. "You have to completely focus on the battle, and you always want to be one step ahead of your opponent. Like Callie — think about her battle with Roxie last night. She knew that putting holes all over the stage was a great way of getting Koffing planted on the ground, and she knew that by having Riolu jump into the air, Roxie wouldn't be able to resist the opportunity to send Koffing after him with zero concern about the holes. Then Callie took advantage and had Riolu use Force Palm and get Koffing stuck; Roxie was too in her head, too worried about performing. Callie, however, was completely focused on the battle, and she was always one step ahead of Roxie in the end — that's how she won."

Hugh nodded. "Yeah. . . . I guess you're right. . . . Ugh! It's just so frustrating!"

Callie laughed softly. "Trust me, Hugh, it's not as simple as Wes makes it sound. I still think that gym battle last night was just luck," she said, rolling her eyes playfully. "You'll get ahold of it in no time — how about we head back towards Virbank? We've been out here for a few hours."

"No way!" Hugh said. "I still haven't gotten the chance to use my Pidove! Come on, Wes! My Pidove against your Vulpix! Please?"

Wes sighed and looked at Callie with a pleading look, as if hoping she could find a way to get him out of the battle, but Callie simply smiled and shook her head. Wes rolled his eyes and looked back to Hugh, smiling softly. "Yeah, alright — a couple battles, and then that's it. Okay?"

"Yes!" Hugh said excitedly, returning his Snivy to its pokéball.

Callie laughed and stood up, brushing off her pants.

"Well, while you two do that, I think I'm gonna go for a walk — I didn't get to explore it much on our way into the city the other day," she said. "You coming, Zoro?"

However, as she stole a glance over at the fox-like pokémon, she found that he was fast asleep in a sizable patch of sunlight, right at the base of a tree.

Wes followed her gaze and chuckled lightly.

"We'll keep an eye on him," he assured her.

"Thanks — I'll be back," Callie said before walking off to explore more of Route 20.

Truth be told, it was much more beautiful than Callie thought when she rode through on her bike. On foot, she was able to stray away from the path and explore the depths of the forest, wandering through the trees. She watched as several Patrat darted out of her way, and Pidove nestled in trees overhead. She continued to walk for quite awhile until finally coming to a wide river. Everything in the area looked so peaceful — the sun was shining brightly overhead, the wind was blowing ever so slightly. . . . It was perfect.

Callie continued to walk along the river bed, just simply taking in the scenery, when something caught her eye — it was a small pokémon that sort of resembled a lion cub. The front half of the pokémon was light blue, while the rear was black. There was a short tuft of fur on its head and smaller tufts on each cheek, and it had large, oval ears with yellow, star-shaped markings on the insides, with yellow eyes, and a tiny, red nose. The pokémon was very small, obviously still very young, and seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Callie was standing only a few feet away.

Callie pulled out her PokéDex and aimed it at the pokémon, and Dexter spoke very quietly.

"Shinx, the Flash Pokémon. When Shinx flexes its muscles, it generates electricity. When sensing danger, its fur glistens."

Thankfully, Shinx didn't hear Dexter, and Callie watched as the small pokémon, she realized it was obviously looking for something — its nose was to the ground, and it was sniffing each berry bush it came across. However, with each berry it sniffed, Shinx shook its head, obviously not finding what it was looking for.

"A Shinx, huh?" Callie muttered. "I wonder what it's looking for."

Apparently she had spoken too loud, because immediately, Shinx whipped around, staring wide eyed at Callie.

"Shi?" Shinx said, taken aback. Then it narrowed its eyes at her and tensed, its fur beginning to glow.

"Wait, wait!" Callie exclaimed, holding her hands out in front of her. "Hold on! I'm not going to hurt you, I promise!"

"Shinx?" Shinx froze, staring at Callie as if he were unsure he could trust her.

"You're looking for a certain kind of berry, right?" Callie said quickly, slowly reaching for her bag. "I noticed you're sniffing every berry around here. . . . I have a lot of different berries in my bag — maybe I have the one you're looking for?"

Careful not to spook Shinx with any sudden movements, Callie slowly pulled the berry container from her bag and held it out towards Shinx, opening it and revealing the dozens of berries inside it.

"See?" Callie said gently, smiling softly as Shinx's eyes widened in amazement. "I have a lot of them. Do any of these look like the one you're looking for?"

Shinx stared at the box and then to Callie, as if debating whether or not he could trust her. However, after a few moments, it seemed that he decided the reward was worth the risk. So, he took a few very seemingly calculated steps towards Callie, careful not to get too close, and he leaned forward, sniffing all the berries in the box. Then, he carefully picked out a Sitrus berry, taking it in his mouth and placing it on the ground before grabbing yet another Sitrus berry. Callie frowned softly, really looking over the Shinx — it didn't appear as though it were hurt, so why would he need Sitrus berries? Unless. . . .

"Shinx?" Callie said gently as the pokémon went to take a third Sitrus berry. "Are these berries for you? Or are they for a friend?"

Shinx froze and stared up at Callie with wide eyes, as if he were amazed she could have guessed such a thing. Slowly, though, the small pokémon nodded, frowning softly. Callie gave a sympathetic smile.

"Let me guess — your friend is really hurt, isn't it? That's why you need all these Sitrus berries?"

Shinx nodded, looking at the ground, and Callie bit her lip — a hurt pokémon? It sounded like it needed to see Nurse Joy. . . .

"Shinx, would you like some help carrying these berries?" Callie offered. Shinx looked surprised she would say such a thing, so Callie quickly continued. "I-I just mean — that way, you can bring your friend more berries. I have a few more berries that may be able to help; I promise, I just want to make sure your friend feels better. You can trust me, I swear."

Shinx stared at Callie, as if a bit unsure, but then he nodded — he had trusted her so far, she seemed sincere in his eyes. Callie smiled and nodded, picking up two of the Sitrus berries.

"Well, how about I carry these two? You can carry the other one."

Shinx nodded and took the other Sitrus berry in his mouth, and Callie closed up her berry case and stood up.

"Alright, Shinx, lead the way!"

Shinx turned around and took off into the woods, moving at a rather quick pace through the trees. However, Callie made sure to keep up with him, and soon enough, Shinx had led her to a small clearing in the forest. Well, what would have been a clearing if it weren't for the vast cluster of dark, thick, thorn covered vines in the middle of it. The vines were all tangled and intertwined with one another, creating a large pile. Callie was thoroughly confused, but Shinx didn't seem fazed. In fact, he walked right up to the pile of vines and placed the Sitrus berry on the ground and looked over his shoulder at Callie.

"Is your friend . . . in there?" Callie said curiously. Shinx nodded and Callie's eyes widened — what was a pokémon doing in there?

"What is this?" Callie muttered to herself, walking closer to the heap of vines.

However, as she neared the cluster, two Purrloin jumped out in front of her, growling lowly at her.

"Whoa!" Callie said, taking a nervous step back. "I-I'm sorry, I'm not trying to intrude. I was just curious."

However, the two Purrloin didn't seem to care at all about what Callie's intentions were. They continued to growl at her, hackles raised, and Callie reached for Oshawott's pokéball before remembering that she had left him back at the Pokémon Center.

"Great," she muttered to herself. "What am I going to do?"

Shinx, however, wasn't going to stand for this, and he quickly jumped between Callie and the Purrloin.

"Shinx! Shi! Shinx!" Shinx barked out, glowering at the two.

However, the Purrloin didn't care, and they let out another vicious growl, and Callie shook her head, continuing backwards.

"I-I'm sorry, I'll be on my —"

"That's . . . enough!" A voice rang out. "She's . . . a friend."

The two Purrloin immediately stopped in their tracks, all of their aggression gone in an instant. Shinx stood there, his eyes wide, obviously confused. Callie froze, immediately recognizing the voice.

"Celebi?" she called out. "Is that you?"

As soon as she spoke, the cluster of vines in front of her began to shrivel away. Soon enough, the vines were gone, and there, laying on the ground where the vines had just been growing moments before, was Celebi, looking just as weak and fragile as the last time Callie had seen it.

"Celebi!" Callie exclaimed, running forward and kneeling beside the pokémon. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought. . . . It was secluded enough that I would be safe," Celebi said quietly. "I haven't been here very long, but the pokémon who live here have been doing whatever they can to protect me."

"Protect you? Are you in danger?" Callie said.

Celebi frowned, nodding its head very weakly. "I'm afraid so. . . . Team Plasma. . . . Their scientists picked up a reading. . . . They know I've traveled to this time, and they know I haven't left. . . . They're looking for me."

Callie's eyes widened. "They're looking for you? Why are they looking for you?"

Celebi shook its head. "I don't know. . . . But I can't let them find me, Callie. . . ."

"You don't have to worry about that," Callie said determinedly. "I'll protect you, I promise."

"Shinx!"

Suddenly Shinx was beside them, a Sitrus berry in his mouth, looking very proud of himself. Celebi smiled weakly.

"Ah, Shinx, you brought me a Sitrus berry, thank you," Celebi said. "However, I'm afraid a Sitrus berry won't be able to heal me. . . ."

"Shi?" Shinx said, his ears laying flat on his head, his pride instantly vanishing.

"That's okay, Shinx," Callie said encouragingly. "You did your best!"

Shinx looked up at her hopefully, happy to hear her praise him like that. Then Callie looked down at Celebi, who was lying very limply on the ground.

"Celebi, what do you need? What can I do to help you?" Callie said softly, pulling Celebi into her lap.

"I just need rest," Celebi said. "But I've had a run in with Team Plasma in the last few days. . . . So rest has not been easy to come by. . . ."

Callie frowned — how was Celebi ever going to recover if Team Plasma was trying to hunt it down?

"Stay with me for a few days!" Callie offered suddenly. "I'm traveling with Wes now — the two of us together can keep you safe."

"Wes?" Celebi weakly echoed, the faintest of smiles coming to its face. "I see. . . . So, you found him then."

"What?"

"Your partner. . . . Wes. . . . You found him."

Callie smiled very softly and nodded. "Yes. . . . I found him."

"Good, good," Celebi muttered. "Things are moving along nicely. . . ." Celebi let out a small sigh, closing its eyes and nestling into Callie. "I suppose traveling with you for a few days couldn't hurt. . . . I just need some rest. . . . Shinx and the pokémon shouldn't have to be burdened with my care any more."

"Shinx! Shinx! Shi!" Shinx protested, frowning.

"Oh, Shinx, I know you don't mind — but you've done so much for me the last few days," Celebi said softly.

"Shinx!"

Celebi sighed. "Please, Shinx, you can't keep protecting me. Now, please, don't —"

However, Celebi stopped in its tracks, and its eyes shot open, looking very panicked.

"Celebi?" Callie said nervously. "What's wrong?"

"I hear someone," Celebi said, seeming suddenly alert. "We're. . . . We're not alone — someone's coming."

Callie picked up the small pokémon in her arms and stood, cradling Celebi in her arms. The two Purrloin took off, but Shinx stuck close to Callie and Celebi, and the three ran into the woods surrounding the clearing, and quickly hid behind a large tree. Callie pressed her back against the trunk, trying to conceal herself and Celebi, and Shinx hid beside her. Then, just as Celebi had said, they heard footsteps and the sound of two people talking.

"Lucas, there's nothing here," a voice groaned. "Look, let's just go back and tell Colress his reading was wrong — we've been searching for hours, and there's still no sign of Celebi."

"Colress won't believe us for a second if we try telling him that, Elias," said another voice. "You know his equipment is practically flawless — telling him it's a faulty reading would end with Ghetsis yelling at us and telling us we probably read it wrong, so we're going to keep looking until we find Celebi, got it?"

Callie froze — Lucas and Elias? The Team Plasma members from Floccesy Ranch? She carefully stole a glance around the trunk of the tree, through the branches and bushes and saw two men standing there in the clearing — sure enough it was the same two Team Plasma members from a few days before.

"I don't get it. . . . Colress's reports said that Celebi was right here," Lucas muttered, looking around. "Anya and Lexi were here the other day and said they saw Celebi, but it got away. . . ."

"Why do Ghetsis and Colress even want Celebi anyway?" said Elias.

"I'm not sure," said Lucas. "But a Celebi won't normally just show up without a reason. Something _brought_ Celebi here, and I think they're worried it's trying to interfere with our plans."

"What plans?" Callie whispered, looking down at Celebi — were they referring to their plans to take over Unova?

However, the legendary pokémon was too weak to even be listening. Callie knew that she had to get Celebi to Nurse Joy, there was no way around it — Celebi needed help. So, carefully, she took a step, trying her best not to make any noise, and Shinx followed suit. However, while Callie may have been being extra careful, Shinx wasn't paying very close attention to where he was going, and the pokémon stepped directly on a branch, creating a loud snap as the branch broke under his weight.

"What was that?" said Elias.

"I don't know, but it came from over there," muttered Lucas. "Maybe it's Celebi."

Callie froze and stared down at Shinx, who looked back up at her with wide eyes filled with regret.

"Shinx," Callie whispered. "We're going to run on the count of three, got it? And remember — stick together."

Shinx nodded, and Callie could hear the two Team Plasma grunts getting closer.

"Three!" Callie shouted, not bothering to with 'one' or 'two'.

Callie and Shinx took off, Celebi being held tightly in Callie's arms.

"My friends aren't too far away, Shinx!" Callie exclaimed while running. "If we're fast, we can make it to them before Team Plasma catches up!"

"Shi!" Shinx grunted, trying to keep up with Callie.

"Hey! Who's that?" said Elias, watching as Callie and Shinx ran.

"That's that brat from Floccesy Ranch!" growled Lucas. He narrowed his eyes, staring at her as she ran. "And. . . . _She has Celebi!_"

And just like that, the chase was on. Lucas and Elias were running after Callie and Shinx, but thankfully, Callie and Shinx had gotten a decent head start, and they were able to put a good bit of distance between them. Callie and Shinx were perfectly in sync — jumping over fallen logs, ducking under low hanging branches, making sharp turns in whatever direction to try to throw Lucas and Elias off their trail. However, Callie had failed to realize how far from Hugh and Wes she had wandered before they started running; she had walked for nearly half an hour before running into Shinx. It would only ten her ten minutes of running to get back to them, but there was one factor she hadn't considered — Shinx's stamina, or the lack thereof. He was still young, which meant he wore out easily. That fact was made apparent to Callie when Shinx let out a sudden yell as he tripped over a stick and crashed hard into the ground, skidding a few feet.

"Shinx!" exclaimed Callie, coming to a sudden halt and turning around. "Are you okay?"

"Sh. . . . Shinx. . . ," the small pokémon panted, barely nodding his head.

Callie frowned — he was in no shape to run. He was completely worn out.

"You can't run, can you?" Callie said.

Shinx paused and tried to stand, using all the energy he had left. However, he couldn't so much as raise his body a few inches before collapsing, exhaustion getting the best of him.

"I see them up ahead!" she heard Elias exclaim from several yards away.

"Now we got 'em!" growled Lucas.

Callie clenched her jaw — they had to keep moving. . . .

"Well, if you can't run, then I'm just gonna have to carry you," Callie muttered, scooping Shinx up in her arms before taking off again.

"Shi. . . . Shinx?" Shinx groaned, looking up at Callie with a mixture of confusion and exhaustion.

"I'm not . . . just gonna . . . leave you back . . . there," Callie panted as she ran, ducking under a branch. "You and I . . . we want the same thing, don't we? To protect . . . Celebi? So, I guess that means . . . we're friends, and I . . . don't leave friends behind."

"She's getting away!" called Elias.

"Not on my watch," snapped Lucas. "Patrat, go!"

"Come on out, Purrloin!" Elias called.

_"Patraaaaat!"_

_"Looooin!"_

Callie heard the two pokémon cry out behind them, and she pushed herself to run faster — she had to get away from them. However, Lucas and Elias weren't going to let her get away without a fight.

"Patrat! Use Screech, now!"

"Purrloin, use Hyper Voice!"

Callie wasn't sure what to brace herself for — she knew Screech would be loud and ear-splitting, but what in the world was Hyper Voice?

Suddenly, the worst noise Callie had ever heard in her life pierced her ears. Pain lanced through her head and colorful spots appeared in her vision as a noise so indescribably terrible hit her — _actually_ hit her. A force like a train collided into Callie's back, sending her, Celebi, and Shinx flying forward, skidding across the ground, and forcing the pokémon from her grasp. Callie was thrown into a tree, back first, instantly knocking the air out of her, leaving her incapacitated.

"Well, well, well," she heard someone smile. "Look what I found."

Callie looked up and saw a very fuzzy outline of who she assumed to be Lucas. However, her vision was so blurry, she couldn't be entirely sure. She let out a groan, fighting to re-inflate her lungs, but it seemed as if the air just wouldn't go in, as though her lungs were surrounded by metal bands, restricting her breath.

"You don't look as tough as you did back at Floccesy Ranch," mused Lucas with a dumb, smug smile as he looked down at her.

Slowly, Callie's vision cleared up, and she was able to get a better look at his face, and eventually, she was able to breathe a bit, allowing her to respond.

"What . . . do you . . . want with . . . Celebi?" she muttered, trying to push herself up.

"I think the question is, what are _you_ doing with Celebi?" said Lucas. He looked behind Callie and she followed his gaze — wincing as pain shot through her neck and down her spine as she did so. Callie saw Celebi lying motionless on the ground, Shinx only a few feet away.

"I just . . . found it. . . . It's hurt," Callie grunted through clenched teeth, looking back up at Lucas.

"You see, I don't believe that," Lucas said, shaking his head. "Celebi is a legendary pokémon — it's not going to allow itself to be seen, much less carried by a human. So why in the world would it show itself to you?"

"I told you . . . I found it —"

"And I told you I don't believe that!" snapped Lucas. "Now, _why are you lying_?"

Callie said nothing, instead she just kept her mouth shut and glared sharply up at Lucas, who stared down at her with intense hatred.

Lucas growled in frustration. "Fine, I suppose it doesn't matter why you're lying. I'll still capture Celebi and take it back to headquarters — Elias, grab it," said Lucas with a rather bored tone, waving his hand carelessly towards Celebi.

"No! Don't touch —" Callie grunted, making a move grab Celebi.

However, the slightest bit of movement was too much, and Callie collapsed to the ground as the pain seared through her body better than a branding iron, her mind conceding to the torment, unable to bring a thought to completion.

Lucas let out a laugh. "Oh my, what a pitiful sight you are!"

"I swear," muttered Callie, trying her best to hold back tears. "You better leave Celebi alone!"

"And what are you going to do if we don't?" Lucas laughed.

Elias, however, still seemed intimidated by Callie, despite her rather pitiful state, and he hesitated to pick up Celebi. Shinx, who was still exhausted, saw this as an opportune to time attack. He suddenly became surrounded by an aura of blue electricity and he launched himself forward, tackling Elias to the ground, simultaneously shocking him as well.

_"Argh!" _Elias exclaimed, obviously in pain.

"Idiot!" snapped Lucas. "Letting yourself get attacked by this pest —"

With a swift movement, Lucas kicked Shinx off of Elias, sending the pokémon skidding backwards and earning a small yelp from him as well.

"Shinx!" Callie exclaimed. She couldn't take it anymore — she had to do something.

She had only a moment — Lucas was distracted with Elias, who was laying on the ground, momentarily stunned. So, ignoring every nerve in her body that was pulsing with pain, Callie pushed herself to her feet and very shakily ran forward, her legs feeling like jell-o. She picked up Celebi and Shinx and took off running very clumsily through the woods.

"They're getting away!" snapped Lucas. "Elias, get up — _they're getting away_!"

"Are you . . . okay, Shinx?" Callie managed to say through gritted teeth.

"S-shinx?" the small pokémon stared up at her, obviously concerned for her well being — Callie knew she felt terrible, and if she looked even half as bad as she felt. . . . Well, she wasn't a pretty sight for sure.

"I'll be fine," she said, forcing a smile.

"Not so fast!" Lucas shouted from behind them.

"Purrloin, Hyper Voice again!"

"Not again," Callie muttered. "Celebi, Shinx — hold on!"

_"Gardevoir — use Protect!"_ someone shouted.

Callie froze. She turned and saw a tall humanoid Pokémon whose body resembled a flowing gown standing behind her. Most of its body was white, but its hair, arms, and the underside of its gown were green. Its hair curled over its face and down the sides of its head. The pokémon held both its hands out in front of it, waiting. The Hyper Voice attack came barreling at them at amazing speeds, but just as it was about to hit, a turquoise shield appeared, and the attack disappeared, leaving everyone unharmed.

"W-what?" Callie said with wide eyes. Managing to hold Celebi and Shinx in one arm, Callie pulled out her PokéDex and aimed it at the pokémon.

"Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokémon. Gardevoir will use all of its psychic energy to protect a Trainer it has made a deep connection with.."

"A Gardevoir?" Callie said with wide eyes as the pokémon looked over its shoulder at her. "Th-thank you, but. . . . Where's your trainer?"

"I'm right here!"

Callie turned around and saw a woman standing in front of her — she couldn't have been much older than Callie herself, maybe twenty-four or twenty-five. She had curly brown hair that was piled on the top of her head in a bun, and she had bright blue eyes that shone happily as she looked at Callie.

"Thank you for your help," said Callie. "But. . . . How did you know I needed help?"

"No one who looks like _that_ is fine," said the woman, motioning to Callie. "Now, you relax and let me handle these guys."

Callie simply nodded — she was in no position to refuse the help. The woman took a few steps forward and stood beside her Gardevoir, watching as Lucas, Elias, and their two pokémon, Patrat and Purrloin, came running up. The Team Plasma members came to a sudden halt when they saw Callie's new found help standing before them.

"Who are you?" snapped Lucas. "Get out of the way!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," said the woman. "What's your business with this girl?"

"Why do you care?" Lucas growled.

"Because I can't simply stand by and do nothing," said the woman. "Now, I'll ask again, what's your business with this girl?"

"She has Celebi, and I'm going to take it!" Lucas barked.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that," said the woman, unfazed by the mention of Celebi.

"Oh, and why's that?"

"This girl and her pokémon need help, and I won't allow you to harm them any further. Now, just turn and leave, and I won't hurt you," said the woman.

"Hurt me? With your Gardevoir? Please!" Lucas laughed. "Stand down — I don't have any reason to fight you."

"Then I suppose I'll just have to give you one," said the woman.

And with that, she pulled a pokéball off her belt and tossed it into the air, releasing another pokémon, this one shorter than Gardevoir, with scarlet flower upon its head. A sudden wonderful aroma filled the air, and Callie felt instantly relaxed.

"What kind of pokémon is that?" Callie muttered.

"Lilligant, the Flowering Pokémon. It's said that the fragrance coming from the flower on its head has relaxing properties, and, if neglected, the flower withers — the flower is very tricky to get to bloom, even for veteran trainers," Dexter said simply.

"That means she must be really good," Callie whispered.

"A Lilligant?" the man laughed. "Ha! Patrat, use Screech!"

"Purrloin, Hyper Voice!"

The woman smirked, the prospect of a battle garnering some excitement from her.

"Lilligant, if you wouldn't mind — Grass Whistle!"

"Lil-lil!" Lilligant sang happily, placing one of its leaf-like hands to its mouth.

Lilligant blew gently on its hand, and the most pleasant music filled the air — it was almost dream like, and Callie felt herself growing rather sleepy as she listened to the beautiful notes the pokémon played.

"Hey, don't fall asleep just yet," said the woman as she nudged Callie gently, causing her to jolt awake. "We need to get you somewhere safe."

"Huh? O-oh, right," Callie said, shaking her head, dispelling the drowsiness that had fallen over her.

She then looked over to Lucas, Elias, and their pokémon and saw that they were fast asleep. Lilligant's song subsided, and Callie stared at the sleeping members of Team Plasma.

_"Amazing,"_ she breathed. "What was that?"

"That's a move called Grass Whistle," said the woman with a smile. "It can put any person or pokémon to sleep almost instantly."

"That's . . . fantastic," Callie said with wide eyes. Then, she looked to the woman and said, "I-I can't thank you enough — my friends and I. . . . We would have been done for if it weren't for you and your pokémon."

"No problem," said the woman with a smile. Then, the woman looked down at Celebi and Shinx, who both laid in Callie's arms, both very still. "That Celebi. . . . It looks very hurt."

Callie nodded. "It's worn out — I think it needs to be taken to Nurse Joy."

The woman nodded. "Yes, you're right," she said with a troubled expression. She then returned her Lilligant and looked at Callie, holding out a hand. "Take my hand — I'll have Gardevoir teleport us to the Pokémon Center in Virbank City."

"I-I can't — not yet," Callie said quickly. "My friends — they're still out here, somewhere on Route 20. I'm sure they're worried about me."

The woman frowned. "I see. . . . I got it!" She grabbed another pokéball from her belt and released yet another pokémon.

This pokémon was another humanoid pokémon with a primarily black body. Its head was teardrop-shaped, with a white, bow-like fixture attached to the base of its tip. Callie stared at it, her PokéDex partially aimed at it, and immediately, Dexter began talking.

"Gothitelle, the Astral Body Pokémon. Gothitelle's Psychic power is so great that it is said to warp space around it, and distort reality in the process."

"A Gothitelle?" Callie said.

The woman nodded and looked to her Gothitelle. "Gothitelle — will you please locate this girl's friends and bring them to the Pokémon Center in Virbank City?"

"Goth. . . ," hummed the psychic-type pokémon. Gothitelle reached forward and placed a hand on Callie's forehead, and its eyes glowed bright blue, but only for a brief moment. Then, the glowing subsided and Gothitelle nodded before suddenly vanishing in a blink of an eye.

"What just happened?" Callie said with wide eyes.

"Gothitelle teleported," said the woman simply. "She looked at your memories of where your friends were, and teleported to their whereabouts — now, let's get going. Gothitelle will bring your friends to the Pokémon Center."

"O-okay. . . ," Callie said with wide-eyes.

She took the woman's hand and the woman took one of Gardevoir's hand.

"Get ready," said the woman. "Gardevoir — Teleport."

It happened immediately. Callie felt as though a hook just behind her navel had been suddenly jerked irresistibly forward. Her feet left the ground; she could feel Celebi and Shinx hold tightly onto Callie; they were all speeding forward in a howl of wind and swirling color; her hand was stuck to the woman's hand as though it was pulling her magnetically onward and then —

Her feet slammed into the ground. Everything stopped spinning. Callie opened her eyes and looked around — they were standing in the middle of the Pokémon Center in Virbank City. Thankfully for Callie and Celebi, the lobby was completely empty, save for Nurse Joy, who quickly looked up from her desk, obviously startled.

"Callie?" Nurse Joy exclaimed. "What are you doing? Are you okay? You look terrible!"

"Nurse Joy!" Callie said, letting go of the woman and running forward, Celebi and Shinx in her arms. "Please, Nurse Joy, you've got to help!"

"What's wrong? What — oh my!" Nurse Joy's eyes widened as she stared down at the pokémon Callie was holding. "Is that. . . . Is that Celebi?" she whispered.

Callie nodded. "Yes — Celebi is really hurt, and so is this Shinx! It was trying to protect Celebi from Team Plasma!"

"Team Plasma?" Nurse Joy said. "That's terrible!"

"Nurse Joy, can you help them?" Callie pleaded.

"Shinx, yes, absolutely, but Celebi. . . . Well, I'm afraid I've never had to tend to a Celebi before," Nurse Joy said, frowning.

Callie's face fell and she bit her lip — she had to save Celebi, she just had to!

Nurse Joy noticed Callie's expression, and she smiled gently. "I suppose I'll just have to try — just wait here! Let me go fetch Audino and two stretchers!"

Nurse Joy took off to the back and Callie let out a sigh of relief — they made it to the Pokémon Center, and Nurse Joy agreed to at least try to help Celebi. It was something. . . . Callie turned and leaned her back against the desk, a decision that she instantly regretted as a throbbing pain coursed through her back; it was still very tender, and would probably remain that way for several days.

"Callie!"

"There you are!"

"Zor-zor!"

Callie looked up and saw Zoro, Wes, Hugh, and Gothitelle all standing in the lobby beside the woman and her Gardevoir — they had apparently just arrived with Gothitelle. Zoro ran forward, jumping onto Callie's shoulder.

"Zor! Zor-zor! Zorua!" Zoro cooed, rubbing against Callie. However, he then caught sight of the limp Celebi in her arms, and Zoro instantly froze, staring down at his friends with wide eyes.

"Callie, what happened to you?" Wes said, running forward. He placed a gentle hand on her elbow, and with the other hand he lifted her face to meet his, inspecting her closely. "You're all cut up. . . . What happened?"

"I. . . . I ran into Team Plasma," Callie said, biting her lip.

_"Team Plasma did this?"_ Wes growled, his jaw tightening and eyes narrowing. "Those no good — why in the world would they do this to you?"

"Because I. . . . I was protecting Celebi," said Callie.

"Cele . . . bi?" Wes whispered, his jaw loosening. Callie nodded and looked down at the weak pokémon in her arms, and Wes followed her gaze. He looked at the withering pokémon and he shook his head. "No way. . . . That's Celebi."

"Did I hear Team Plasma?" Hugh said, coming over to the two friends. "Where are they? I want to battle them this time! I swear, I'll — oh my Arceus. Is that Celebi?"

Hugh stared wide eyed at Celebi, and then looked to Callie.

"How? I-I mean. . . . What? I just. . . . How?" was all he managed to say.

Then, Nurse Joy appeared from the back accompanied by two Audino, each pokémon wheeling a stretcher.

"I'm back! Please, put Shinx and Celebi here!"

Within moments, Shinx and Celebi were laying down on the stretchers and being taken away to the back by the Audino. Nurse Joy hung back to speak to Callie and her friends.

"I'm going to do a thorough check of both of their vitals — I should be able to give you an update in about an hour," said Nurse Joy. "In the meantime, just try to relax. Everything is going to be just fine!"

And with that, Nurse Joy disappeared into the back after the Audino, leaving Callie, Zoro, Wes, Hugh, and their new friend alone in the lobby.

"Well," said Callie. "I guess we need to find something to do for the next hour."

"I know one thing," said Hugh. "How about you tell us what the hell happened while you were gone?"

"I second that!" Wes said.

"Perhaps it's best if we simply let her rest," said the woman, finally speaking up. "She had to put up quite a fight against Team Plasma."

"I want to know how Callie ended up with Celebi!" snapped Hugh. "Besides, who are you anyway?"

The woman looked at Hugh with a bemused smile. "My, my, my — aren't you very bold."

"More like rude," said Callie, giving Hugh a stern look. "She saved me from Team Plasma — her name is. . . . Actually, I don't know your name, I'm sorry."

"Oh, that's perfectly fine — we were a bit preoccupied earlier," said the woman with a laugh. "My name is Ariel."

"Ariel?" Callie echoed, smiling. "That's my mom's name!"

Callie felt a sudden pang in her stomach — her mom. . . . She couldn't help but wonder what her mother was doing right now. Was time continuing on without her there? Was her mother worried about her? Did Team Plasma tell her Callie had been found harboring a Zorua and Celebi?

Ariel smiled. "Well, what a coincidence."

"Thanks again for all the help, Ariel," Callie said. "I can't thank you enough."

"There's no need to thank me," she said. "It was just luck I was passing by. I live in Castelia City, actually, I was just visiting Virbank City for the weekend."

Callie paused, furrowing her brow. "That's kind of funny. . . . My mom lives in Castelia City, a-and she used to visit Virbank City on the weekends to go to PokéStar Studios."

Ariel laughed. "Well then, your mother's a very smart woman. That's what Gardevoir and I are doing!"

This was starting to seem less and less like a coincidence to Callie. Was there a chance, perhaps that maybe, this woman. . . . No, it couldn't be, right? What were the odds she go back in time and just so happen to run into her mother?

"Oh, would you look at the time? Gardevoir and I wanted to go catch the showing of _Midlife Man of Justice. vs Brycen-Man_, so we'd best get going!" said Ariel, returning her Gothitelle. She and Gardevoir turned and headed for the door. "Well, it was great meeting you, Callie — and you too, Wes and Hugh! I hope Celebi is okay! Maybe I'll see you around!"

"Wait!" Callie called out, running forward. "Ariel! Can I have your number to put in my Xtransceiver? I'd love to battle with you sometime!"

Ariel paused and smiled, nodding happily. "Sure thing!"

The two girls exchanged their information, and just as Ariel was about to leave, Callie stopped her.

"Oh, and what's your last name — for your contact information?" Callie said, motioning to her Xtransceiver.

"My last name? Oh, it's Freer," said Ariel with a smile.

Callie froze — Freer? No way. . . . They shared their last name. . . . Could it really be her?

"Callie, are you okay?" said Ariel suddenly, pulling Callie out of her thoughts.

Callie's eyes widened and she quickly nodded. "O-oh, yeah, I-I'm just fine, sorry."

"It's okay, I know you've had a long day," said Ariel with a gentle smile. "Before I go, what's your last name so I can put it in my Xtransceiver?"

"Mine? Oh, it's, uh — erm — it's R-Ryan," Callie stammered, coming up with a fake last name on the spot.

"Ryan?" said Ariel, entering it in her Xtransceiver. Once she was done, she smiled and looked to Callie. "Well then, hopefully Gardevoir and I will be hearing from you soon — bye guys!"

And with that, Ariel and Gardevoir left, quickly disappearing in the crowded streets of Virbank City. Callie, however, couldn't bring herself to move. She stood there, completely frozen — Ariel Freer. Freer. . . . Her mother never changed her last name; she and Callie's father never got married. In fact, Callie never got the chance to meet her father. . . . But that woman. . . . That couldn't have been her mother. Callie's mother hated pokémon, she was so adamantly against them. But still. . . . Ariel Freer. . . . And she even looked like a younger version of Callie's mother. . . .

"Callie?" said Wes coming up behind her. "Are you okay? You don't look so good. You look like you just saw a ghost."

"I. . . . I think I just saw my mother," said Callie, turning to look at Wes.

"Where?" said Wes, looking out the door. "Point her out!"

"I don't have to," Callie said. "I think. . . . I think Ariel is my mother."

"What?" Wes hissed. Then he stopped, thinking about the woman who had just left the Pokémon Center, and he nodded thoughtfully. "I mean. . . . I guess you guys _do_ look alike — the hair, the eyes. . . . Wow. . . . You travel back in time twenty-one years and manage to run into your mother? That's crazy!"

"It doesn't make sense though," Callie muttered to herself, shaking her head. "She hates pokémon — my mom never would have been a trainer. . . . Unless —"

"Okay, now it's story time!" exclaimed Hugh, standing very impatiently by the front desk — he had been too far away to hear any of Callie and Wes's conversation. "I'm hungry, and I'm dying to know how you found Celebi. We're getting lunch, and you're going to tell us everything!"

An hour later, Callie, Zoro, Wes, and Hugh were sitting in the Pokémon Center cafeteria, and Callie had just finished telling them all about how she had found Shinx looking for berries, and him leading her to Celebi right before Team Plasma showed up. Then she told them about Ariel intervening at the last moment and saving them all before finally bringing her to the Pokémon Center.

"I can't believe it," said Hugh, shaking his head. "You really do have all the luck in the world, Callie — you meet Alder and Roxie, and now you found a Celebi? What kind of newbie trainer are you?"

Callie looked at Hugh with a raised eyebrow. "If you consider getting the crap beaten out of me by Team Plasma 'lucky', I'd hate to see what you consider bad luck."

"Zor, zorua. . . ," Zoro said softly, looking at Callie with an immense amount of guilt.

"What's wrong, Zoro?" said Callie.

"I think Zoro feels bad he wasn't there to protect you," said Wes.

Zoro nodded and Callie smiled softly, shaking her head. "It's okay, Zoro. Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine. The important thing is that Celebi and Shinx got to the Pokémon Center in time."

Zoro looked doubtful, but before he could say anything, Nurse Joy came up to their table.

"Ah, there you are!" she said with a smile. "I've just finished looking over Shinx and Celebi!"

"How are they doing?" Callie said eagerly.

"Well, Shinx is going to be just fine — he has some minor bruises, but for the most part, he was just exhausted and needs some rest. As for Celebi, I think its biggest problem is it overexerted itself recently, and it doesn't appear as if its been getting enough nutrition lately," said Nurse Joy. "I'm giving it some fluids now, but most important thing for Celebi right now is rest. I'd like to keep it for a few days, but even after that, I would like for you to care for Celebi before letting it go."

"Callie's not going to let it go," said Hugh suddenly. "That's a Celebi! They're super rare! Why would she let an opportunity like this slip away?"

"Because Celebi isn't mine to catch, Hugh," snapped Callie. "Celebi asked me to help. How could I betray its trust and try to capture it?"

Nurse Joy smiled softly and nodded. "Well, I'm glad that's all settled then. So, you'll be okay with watching Celebi?"

"Of course!" said Callie, nodding. "We'll take good care of Celebi, I promise. I won't let Team Plasma get the best of me again — next time, I'll have my pokémon."

"That reminds me!" said Nurse Joy, holding out three pokéballs to Callie. "Your pokémon are all fighting fit! I figured you'd like to have them on you."

Callie nodded, happily taking the three pokéballs. "I would, thank you." She put the pokéballs on her belt and Nurse Joy smiled.

"Well, I'm going to go back to Celebi and Shinx. I just wanted to give you my update on them," said Nurse Joy before walking off.

"Thank you!" Wes and Callie called after her.

Once Nurse Joy was out of earshot, Hugh narrowed his eyes at Callie. "Are you seriously not going to try to catch Celebi?"

Callie rolled her eyes. "You just heard me tell Nurse Joy I wouldn't — why would I lie?"

Hugh sighed heavily, crossing his arms over his chest and muttering, "You may be a lucky trainer, but you're also a _dumb_ trainer. . . ."

"What was that?!" snapped Callie.

"You heard me!" Hugh barked back. "You're dumb!"

"I swear, Hugh, I'm gonna —"

"Alright, you two, that's enough!" Wes shouted, glaring sharply at the two. Callie and Hugh fell silent but they continued to glare sharply at each other. Wes sighed heavily. "I think we're all a bit tired — it's been a long day. How about we all go to our rooms and get some rest?"

"Yeah, you're probably right," said Hugh, getting up from the table.

"We _smart_ trainers have a big battle tomorrow, so we'd best get ready, huh, Wes?" Hugh said as he walked away.

"Hugh. . . ," Wes said with a heavy sigh, shaking his head.

"I already beat Roxie! So who's the dumb one now?" Callie called after Hugh, who ignored her and kept walking.

Wes smirked softly at Callie. "Someone has a bit of a temper."

"Someone's had a long day," Callie muttered. Then she let out a heavy sigh and slumped down in her seat. "First Celebi, then Team Plasma, and now meeting my mom. . . ."

"What's the big deal about meeting your mom?" said Wes. "I mean, yeah, sure, I know you probably didn't expect to run into her, but I mean, it can't be that big of a deal."

"But it is a big deal, Wes," said Callie, shaking her head. "The mom I know in my time doesn't like pokémon — she hates them. She says they're terrible, untrustworthy, unreliable. . . . But the mom in this time. . . . She's a trainer, and a really good one. She has a Lilligant!"

"A Lilligant?" said Wes with an amused smile. "What's so great about that?"

"The flower on its head — it had bloomed!"

Wes's eyes widened slightly. "Wh-what? But the flower on Lilligant's head is so fragile, it's almost impossible to get that to bloom unless —"

"Unless you're a very experienced trainer," said Callie, finishing his thought. "So what could have possibly made my mother hate them?"

Wes frowned, shaking his head. "I really don't know, Callie. . . ."

Both trainers sighed, and Callie shrugged. "Well, I'm not going to figure it out anytime soon. I'm gonna head to bed. You should do the same."

"Yeah," Wes grunted.

"Are you ready for your battle with Roxie tomorrow?" Callie said with a grin.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Wes said with a shrug.

Callie smiled and stood from the table, motioning for Zoro to follow her. She headed off to her room, calling a brief 'good night' over her shoulder to Wes before leaving the cafeteria. Once Callie and Zoro were back in their room, Callie showered and got in her pajamas, thankful for the soft bed waiting for her. She thought about letting out all of her pokémon before bed, but Callie knew that Growlithe and Riolu would only end up fighting, and she didn't have the energy to deal with that. So instead, Callie just rolled over on her side, Zoro curling up beside her, and the two fell fast asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow.


	8. Battle on the Homefront!

Chapter Eight

The next day, around eleven thirty, Callie, Wes, and Hugh were getting ready to leave for Roxie's gym. The three had woken up early that day and spent a majority of their morning talking about different strategies they could utilize during their battles. Wes was going to battle Roxie with Tepig, Vulpix, and Rufflet, who he had apparently caught while training with Hugh the day before. Hugh, on the other hand, was going to use his Snivy, Pidove, and Magnemite, which he had caught at the Virbank Complex the other night after Roxie's concert.

"Are you guys ready?" Hugh said excitedly. "Wes, you and I are about to face off against Roxie and get our second gym badge!"

"I know, I'm looking forward to it," Wes said with a laugh, packing up his bag.

"I can't wait to watch you guys win," Callie said with a smile, grabbing her bag. She then turned to look at Zoro, who was standing by the front desk of the Pokémon Center, which was being watched over by Audino; Nurse Joy was in the back tending to Celebi and Shinx.

"Come on, Zoro, let's get going," Callie said with a smile. However, Zoro looked back at her frowning, shaking his head. Callie paused. "Zoro? Why don't you want to go?"

"Zor, zor, Zorua," Zoro said, looking toward the back door that lead to Nurse Joy and the others.

Callie frowned and looked at Wes and Hugh, who were both watching her expectantly.

"I don't think Zoro wants to go," Callie said with a frown. "He's worried about Celebi and Shinx."

"Well, just leave him here then, he doesn't need to come," said Hugh.

Callie shook her head. "No, I don't think I want to leave him here alone — how about you two go without me? I'll stay here with Zoro."

Zoro looked back at Callie, smiling softly — he would have never asked Callie to stay with him, but he was glad she offered.

"What? You're not gonna come?" Hugh exclaimed. "But we watched your battle with Roxie. That's not fair!"

Callie opened her mouth to protest, but Wes spoke up. "No, I think it'll be okay if Callie doesn't come, Hugh. I think Zoro needs her here with him more than we need her to come with us."

Hugh crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a head sigh. "Fine. . . . But when we win, you best believe I'm gonna rub it in your face that you missed an awesome battle!"

Callie giggled and walked over to Zoro, taking him in her arms. "Well, Hugh, I can't wait to hear all about it. Now, you two go win your second gym badge! Zoro and I are gonna wait here for Nurse Joy and see how Shinx and Celebi are doing. Maybe we'll make it in time to see part of your battle, guys!"

"We'll see," Wes said with a smile.

"Let's go, Wes!" Hugh groaned, running for the door.

"Wish me luck," Wes sighed, shaking his head as he followed after Hugh.

So then it was just Callie and Zoro. The two took a seat in a plush chair next to the front desk, sinking into the cushions.

"I know you're worried about Celebi, Zoro, but don't worry. Nurse Joy is going to take care of it, and then we'll get to watch after Celebi for a few days. It'll be a lot of fun," Callie said with a smile, trying to make Zoro feel better.

Zoro nodded absentmindedly and stared at the backdoor of the Pokémon Center, waiting anxiously. And so they spent their time like that for the next hour. Callie was beginning to grow a bit bored, wondering when the boys would come back, and whether or not they'd both be victorious in their battles. She was itching to do something, perhaps go for a walk, or head back to the Virbank Complex to see if they could find anymore pokémon, but before she could even suggest it to Zoro, the front door of the Pokémon Center opened, and Callie looked towards it, fully expecting to see Wes and Hugh, but instead she saw a man wearing a white button down and black slacks with chin-length black hair and pale blue eyes. Since Callie didn't recognize him, she simply turned away from him. However, the man appeared to be looking for Callie, because he walked right up to her and Zoro and stood before them.

"I'm sorry to bother you," he said. "But you're Callie, correct?"

Callie stared at him with wide eyes. "Er — y-yes, that's correct."

The man smiled and extended a hand towards Callie. "My name is Cheren — I believe Bianca may have mentioned me to you?"

Thinking back to the conversation she had had with Bianca upon first arriving in Virbank City, Callie did recall Bianca mentioning something about Cheren.

"Oh — you're the gym leader from Aspertia City, right?" Callie said with a smile.

Cheren nodded. "That's correct! Bianca and I have been friends for quite a while — she called me the other day and said you had made it all the way to Virbank City before deciding that you wanted to partake in the Pokémon League, and you missed your chance to battle me."

"Yeah, that did happen," Callie said with a nervous laugh. "I didn't realize how much fun battling was until a few days ago! And then I got to battle Roxie, and I won, and —"

"You beat Roxie?" Cheren said with an amused grin. Callie nodded and he chuckled. "Well, I must say, I'm impressed. . . . You see, Bianca told me that coming to Virbank City to battle you would be worth my while; she said you were quite the trainer. I'll admit, I didn't believe her, but I still figured I'd give it a shot. But knowing that you managed to beat Roxie. . . . Well, this may be quite the battle."

"Wait, you came here to battle me?" said Callie curiously.

Cheren nodded. "Indeed I did — Callie, I'm here to offer you the chance to earn the Basic Badge in an official gym battle!"

Callie's eyes widened — she was really getting this opportunity?

Smiling, Callie nodded. "Cheren, I would absolutely love —"

"Looks who's feeling better today!" Nurse Joy exclaimed suddenly as she appeared from the back of the Pokémon Center, holding none other than Shinx in her arms.

Callie looked away from Cheren, and she and Zoro stood up quickly.

"Shi-shinx!" Shinx said excitedly when he saw Callie standing there.

Callie smiled and ran over to Nurse Joy. "Shinx! You're okay! How are you feeling, buddy?"

"Shi!" Shinx said happily, jumping into Callie's arms.

Callie giggled, catching Shinx easily. "I'm glad you're feeling better! Look, Zoro, Shinx is okay!"

"Zor. . . ," Zoro seemed to only be partially paying attention to Callie. He looked at Nurse Joy and then behind her, as if he was hoping to see Celebi there.

Callie frowned softly and looked to Nurse Joy. "How is Celebi doing today, Nurse Joy?"

Nurse Joy's smile faded some. "Well, it's doing. . . . It's doing better, I suppose, but still not great. It was in very rough shape when you brought it in. The fluids have helped some, and it appears as though resting has done it a great deal of good, but it's still very weak. It will take a few more days before we know for sure the extent of Celebi's injuries."

Callie nodded. "See, Zoro? Celebi is doing better. I told you there was no need to worry."

"Zor," Zoro muttered, frowning.

"Shin!" Shinx exclaimed, jumping from Callie's arms and standing beside Zoro. "Shi-shinx!"

"Zor?"

"Shinx!"

Callie smiled as she watched Shinx try to comfort Zoro. Shinx seemed to be fairly confident that Celebi would make a full recovery.

"I'm sorry, did I hear something about Celebi?" said Cheren — Callie had completely forgotten he was standing there.

"Oh, Cheren!" Nurse Joy said, obviously surprised to see the Gym Leader standing there. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here from Aspertia City to offer Callie the chance to win the Basic Badge from me in a battle," said Cheren. "But now my curiosity is peaked — do you really have a Celebi back there?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "Mhmm — Callie found it yesterday."

Cheren looked shocked as he turned to Callie. "You found a Celebi? But how? Where?"

Callie then told Cheren about the events that unfolded yesterday; her following Shinx and finding Celebi, and then trying her best to protect Celebi from Team Plasma until eventually being rescued by Ariel.

At the mention of Team Plasma, Cheren frowned.

"So, they're back, huh?" he muttered.

"You know them?" Callie said with wide eyes.

Cheren nodded. "Yes, I do. . . . You see, two years ago I took my pokémon journey, along with Bianca, and our friends, White and Black. Team Plasma was just beginning to rise to power, but the four of us together. . . . We put a stop to Team Plasma."

Callie's eyes widened. "No way — you and your friends stopped Team Plasma?"

"Well, it was mostly White and Black's work, but yes, Bianca and I aided in the defeat," he said. "But I wonder what they're plotting this time? And why would they attack Celebi?"

"One of them said that they think Celebi is trying to interfere with their plans, but they didn't say what those plans were," said Callie.

"Zor. . . ," Zoro muttered softly, looking at the back door.

Callie frowned and looked between Cheren and Zoro; she wanted to battle Cheren, but it was obvious that Zoro wanted to go check on Celebi, and she didn't want to leave him alone. . . .

"Cheren," Callie said softly. "I really appreciate you coming all the way out here just for me, but Zoro is really good friends with Celebi, and I think that maybe I should stay here with Zoro and keep an eye on Celebi."

Cheren nodded, smiling softly. "That's quite alright — we don't have to battle right now. I have a few matters in Virbank City to tend to, so I can simply run a few errands while I'm here. We can battle later, how about that?"

Callie's eyes widened. "Really? You mean it? That'd be fantastic!"

Cheren smiled. "Of course — take care of Celebi. Our battle can wait."

Callie clapped her hands together. "Oh, thank you, Cheren!" She then turned to Nurse Joy, looking at her with eagerly hopeful eyes. "Nurse Joy, could Zoro, Shinx, and I go sit in the back with Celebi? We won't bother it, I promise. I just think Zoro and Shinx would feel better if they could see Celebi."

Nurse Joy nodded. "I don't see why not — I'm sure Celebi would love to see the familiar faces. I'll be back there in a moment; I'm going to go get Celebi some berries to see if that helps any."

"I think I'll hang around here for a moment," Cheren said. "I haven't eaten all day."

"Oh, well Audino will be happy to get you something from the cafeteria, won't you, Audino?" said Nurse Joy.

"Audino!" Audino said happily.

Callie smiled and looked to Zoro and Shinx. "Alright, well, let's go see Celebi, you two."

So the three of them walked through the back door, and immediately found themselves in a long, pearly white hallway. They walked down a few yards and came into a large room with several incubation chambers, each with a severely injured pokémon inside. Callie saw a Pidove, a Pichu, Rattata, Patrat, and a Purrloin all laying inside these chambers, each appearing to be very weak. Then, in the far corner of the room, Callie spotted the last chamber, and inside was Celebi. Quickly, she, Zoro, and Shinx walked over to the chamber and sat down in the wooden chair that Nurse Joy must have put beside it so she could sit and watch over Celebi.

Celebi looked rough, but admittedly, it looked quite a bit better than the day before. It didn't appear as withered, and its color had come back a bit. When Callie sat down, Celebi stirred some and opened its eyes.

"Callie. . . . Zoro. . . . Shinx. . . ," Celebi said quietly. "You're all . . . okay. . . . I'm so glad. . . ."

Callie nodded, biting her lip — she hated to see Celebi like this. "I'm glad to see you, Celebi. How are you feeling?"

"Better . . . today," Celebi said. "It's nice . . . getting to . . . rest here."

Zoro smiled. "Zor! Zor-zoro!"

Celebi smiled very weakly, barely managing to nod its head. "Yes, yes. . . . I do owe Callie a great deal. . . . After all, she saved me from Team Plasma."

"I can't take all the credit," Callie said. "Shinx here helped a lot."

"Shinx!" Shinx said proudly, his chest swelling with pride.

"And then Ariel came to the rescue," said Callie. She then paused and looked to Celebi. "Speaking of which. . . . Celebi. . . . Ariel. . . . I. . . . I got the feel that she . . . she's my mother, right? Just twenty-one years in the past?"

Callie watched as Celebi closed its eyes, as if trying to think about the best way to answer this. Then, Celebi opened its eyes and nodded.

"Yes. . . . The woman named Ariel you met yesterday. . . . That is your mother," said Celebi.

"And she was a pokémon trainer," said Callie. "A really good pokémon trainer! But what happened? Why does she hate them so much now?"

"That's something . . . I cannot answer," Celebi said. "Unfortunately, that is something I am not completely aware of."

"But. . . . I want to know," Callie muttered to herself, unable to hide her disappointment.

"So, how's our special patient doing?" said Nurse Joy, coming into the backroom with a small bowl and spoon in her hands.

She came over to Callie, Shinx, Zoro, and Celebi and opened the latch to the chamber Celebi was in and held the bowl and spoon out to Callie.

"How about you try feeding this to Celebi?" Nurse Joy said with a smile. "It's a mixture of Oran Berries and Sitrus berries, with a few Pecha berries added in to make it a bit sweeter — I blended it all together so it'd be a bit easier for Celebi to eat."

Callie looked down at the bowl and saw it was filled with a light purple, smoothie looking mixture. Callie smiled and took a spoonful, holding it out to Celebi.

"Here, try this," she said. "It'll help."

Celebi eyed the spoon curiously but took a spoonful in its mouth, immediately smiling. "Mmm. . . . So sweet!"

Nurse Joy and Callie both laughed, while Zoro and Shinx cheered happily. Callie continued to feed Celebi for a few more moments, Nurse Joy supervising happily, but within a few minutes, Cheren appeared in the back.

"Cheren?" said Nurse Joy, looking curiously at him. "What are you doing back here?"

"There's group of people up front looking for you," said Cheren. "Two men, two women — they said they needed to speak to you about their pokémon."

"I left Audino up there," said Nurse Joy, her brows furrowing together. "Well, their pokémon must be in rough shape if Audino can't handle it herself. . . . Callie, will you be okay back here?"

Callie nodded. "We'll be just fine."

"I'll stay with her," Cheren said with a smile.

Nurse Joy smiled softly and nodded, hurrying to the front. Cheren walked over to Callie and the pokémon, looking at Celebi with great interest.

"I can't believe it," he muttered to himself. "That's really a Celebi. . . ."

"It sure is," Callie said with a smile, giving Celebi another spoonful of the smoothie concoction.

"And you just found it?" Cheren said.

"Thanks to Shinx here," Callie said, nodding towards the small electric-type pokémon standing by her feet. "He was foraging for berries to help Celebi, and I found him, and he brought me to it."

"Well, that's one smart Shinx," said Cheren. "Though I will say, he was lucky to run into a trainer as kind as you."

Callie smiled sheepishly, a blush crossing her cheeks. "O-oh, it was nothing really. I couldn't just leave Celebi there defenseless."

"So it seems," said Cheren. "So tell me, this Team Plasma. . . . Was this your first run in with them?"

Callie shook her head. "No, it wasn't — a few days ago, my friends and I were at Floccesy Ranch, and we found them trying to steal one of the Herdier and a Riolu. My friend Wes and I battled them there and won. . . . I didn't expect to run into them again so soon."

"I see. . . ," Cheren said, frowning softly.

He fell silent, and Callie thought back to Bianca's reaction whenever she had mentioned running into Team Plasma. . . . She had gotten so quiet and avoided the subject. . . .

"Cheren. . . ?" Callie said, not looking at him, instead staring at Celebi as she fed it more of the berry smoothie.

"Yes?"

"The other day. . . . I mentioned to Bianca I had run into Team Plasma, and I could tell by the look on her face that she knew Team Plasma, but when I asked her about it, she didn't want to say anything. . . . Why is that?"

Cheren sighed, an odd look crossing his face as he spoke. "Well, fighting Team Plasma was a bitter sweet moment for all of us. . . . We haven't seen White or Black since the final battle with Team Plasma. . . . I think Bianca is still shaken from the experience. She and White were very close, and Black was like a brother to her. Losing the two of them in one day, not knowing if they're alive or not. . . . It was a very traumatizing experience for her."

Callie frowned. "They disappeared?"

Cheren nodded. "Yes — we have no idea where they are."

Callie paused — Cheren and Bianca's friends disappeared without a trace during the final showdown with Team Plasma, just like Wes in Callie's time, only he wasn't successful in stopping them.

Just then, they heard the door to the backroom open, and they both turned, expecting to see Nurse Joy. But instead they were greeted by a very frantic looking Audino, who ran in the back almost on the brink of tears, a small gash on the side of her cheek.

"Au-audino! No! Aud!" Audino exclaimed, tears brimming her eyes.

"Audino!" Callie exclaimed, getting up from the chair and rushing to the pink pokémon's side. "Audino, what's wrong?"

"Aud, audino! Au! Aud!" Audino said frantically.

"What is she saying?" said Cheren.

"Nurse Joy is . . . in trouble," Celebi said, translating for them. "Team Plasma. . . . They've come for me."

"Team Plasma?" Callie and Cheren said in unison.

Cheren grabbed a pokéball from his belt and headed for the door. "Callie, you stay here — I'll handle Team Plasma!"

"I'm coming with you," Callie said, standing to her feet.

"No, you'll stay here and protect Celebi!" Cheren said fiercely.

"No need," Callie muttered. She grabbed a pokéball from her belt. "Oshawott, come on out!"

Oshawott appeared in a red flash, cheering happily.

"Osha!" Oshawott said proudly.

"Oshawott, you stay here with Zoro and Shinx — you three protect Celebi, Audino, and the other pokémon, got it?" Callie said.

"Zor!"

"Shi!"

"Osha!"

The three pokémon all nodded, each of them looking determined and ready to fight. Callie smiled softly and then turned back to Cheren, who was watching her.

"I told you, I'm coming with you," Callie said.

Cheren smiled softly, obviously vaguely impressed, and he nodded. "Right — let's go!"

Callie and Cheren both ran down the hallway and through the door, out into the lobby of the Pokémon Center. There they saw four people standing there — two men and two women, and each one had a pokémon aiding them. One man had a Liepard, the other had a Watchog, while one of the women had a Krokorok, and another had a Trubbish. While they were all wearing normal clothes, Callie immediately recognized the two men — it was Lucas and Elias. Lucas was standing over Nurse Joy, who was laying limply on the ground, trying to hold herself up.

"Those are the trainers who were looking for Nurse Joy," Cheren said, narrowing his eyes at them.

"Team Plasma!" Callie growled through clenched teeth. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, brat!" sneered Lucas with a smirk. "You're looking much better than yesterday! Now, where's Celebi?"

"I'm not going to let you get anywhere near it!" Callie said.

"Lucas, who's this?" said a woman with blonde hair — she was the one with the Krokorok.

"Don't worry about it, Lexi," snapped Lucas.

"Is this the brat that keeps kicking your butt?" laughed the other woman with red hair.

"Anya, stop," said Elias, frowning.

"There's no shame in being beat by a girl," laughed Lexi, rolling her eyes. Then Lexi stared at Callie, looking at her with an amused sort of grin. "Alright, now, little girl, just go ahead and bring us Celebi."

"I told you, I'm not letting you get anywhere near Celebi!" Callie growled.

"Ugh, you're so annoying," Anya groaned, rolling her eyes. "Just step aside!"

Callie said nothing and instead just stared down Anya and Lexi, refusing to move a muscle.

Lexi chuckled. "Oh, I see! This one's feisty — I like her!"

"I'll move her," Lucas growled. "Elias, come on — it's time for a little payback —"

"Not so fast!" said Anya. "How about you let Lexi and I teach this brat a little lesson about meddling in someone else's business?"

"Oh, I like that idea," purred Lexi.

Lexi's Krokorok and Anya's Trubbish both stepped towards Callie, ready for battle. Callie pulled two pokéballs off her belt — she had only been in a double battle once before, but this time would be much more difficult considering Growlithe and Riolu hated each other.

"Callie," said Cheren. "Do you want any help with this?"

She shook her head. "No, I've got this — you just worry about Lucas and Elias."

Cheren nodded and tossed two pokéballs into the air. "Haxorus — Simisage! Let's go!"

He released his Haxorus and Simisage, and soon he, Lucas, and Elias engaged in a double battle. Lexi and Anya both looked at Callie expectantly.

"Well, little girl," sneered Lexi. "Let's see what you got!"

"Don't tell me you're all bark and no bite?" laughed Anya.

"Oh trust me, I'm not," Callie said lowly. "My pokémon and I are gonna teach you a lesson! Growlithe, Riolu — I choose you!"

Callie released her Growlithe and Riolu, and the two appeared in front of her with two red flashes of light. Growlithe and Riolu looked happy to be out of their pokéballs, but the moment they caught sight of each other, they glared sharply at one another, both of them growling.

_"Growl. . . ."_

_"Ri. . . ."_

_"Not now!"_ snapped Callie. Both pokémon stopped and stared at their trainer, and Callie pointed across the lobby to Trubbish and Krokorok, along with their trainers. "Those two women are with Team Plasma, and they're trying to hurt our friends — Riolu, I'm sure you remember Team Plasma, but you've never met them, Growlithe. Well, I've got news for you. They're bad people! So it's up to us to stop them and save our friends, got it?"

Growlithe and Riolu looked at Callie and then to one another, and immediately they started growling at each other again.

_"Growl. . . ."_

_"Ri. . . ."_

From across the lobby, Anya and Lexi both let out a shout of laughter.

"How pathetic!" giggled Lexi.

"You can't even get your pokémon to stop hating each other long enough to battle!" Anya laughed.

Callie clenched her fists and looked to Growlithe and Riolu._ "Would you two cut it out?"_

Her pokémon both jumped, obviously startled, and stared at Callie with wide eyes.

"Don't you two get it? You two need to put your hatred for each other aside for ten minutes and work together! Do you understand?" Callie snapped.

Growlithe and Riolu faced each other and, very begrudgingly, nodded. Callie sighed, still frustrated. "Good — now, let's teach these guys a lesson, got it?"

"Growl!"

"Rio!"

"Oh goodie," Lexi said. "Let's see what you can do! Krokorok, start this off strong and use Mud-Slap on Growlithe!"

"Kroko!" Krokorok growled.

"Riolu, Growlithe, remember, this is a double battle so we're working together!" Callie called out.

Krokorok took a breath of air through its nostrils and then shot multiple projectiles of mud from its nostrils at towards Growlithe.

"Riolu, use Detect and help Growlithe!" Callie ordered.

Riolu nodded and grabbed Growlithe, startling the fire-type. Then Riolu's eyes began glowing green, and as each muddy projectile came towards them, Riolu was able to dodge each and every one of them, still managing to hold on to Growlithe the entire time. Soon, Krokorok's attack subsided, and Riolu put Growlithe down, both pokémon unharmed.

"I see, so you know a fancy little trick, huh?" said Anya, obviously annoyed. "Let's see you dodge this one — Sludge attack, Trubbish!"

Callie suddenly felt like she was battling Roxie all over again — the constant onslaught of projectiles, having to dodge them, constantly trying to tire out her pokémon. . . . She knew she could do this though.

"Growlithe, Riolu, get ready to dodge!" Callie called out.

Growlithe nodded, but Riolu, however, did not. He appeared to be in a trance like state, and Callie cursed under her breath — of course. This would often happen after he used Detect, how could she forget?

Trubbish then fired large balls of dark brown sludge from its mouth at Growlithe and Riolu, one after another. Growlithe was ready to dodge, but Riolu was still out of it.

"Growlithe!" Callie called out. "Protect Riolu, got it? Don't let those Sludge bombs hit him!"

"Growl!" Growlithe said with a nod.

"Good — Growlithe, use Agility!" Callie ordered.

Growlithe pushed Riolu onto his back and took off, disappearing in the blink of an eye with Riolu, Trubbish's globs of sludge missing them entirely. Growlithe appeared on the other side of the room behind the two pokémon, and Callie noticed Riolu's eyes were bright again — he was back!

"Perfect!" Callie called out.

Anya and Lexi stood there, obviously stunned, and their two pokémon looked around for Growlithe and Riolu, obviously confused.

"They're fast!" Anya said with wide eyes.

"I don't believe it," muttered Lexi. "They're good!"

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Callie called out. "Riolu, Force Palm on Krokorok! Growlithe, hit Trubbish with Flame Wheel!"

"Ri-ri!"

"Growl!"

Riolu leapt off Growlithe and collided with Krokorok, thrusting his paw into the dual ground and dark-type's chest, and a yellow blast of light erupted, sending Krokorok flying backwards and skidding across the ground. Growlithe began spinning at incredible speeds and immediately burst into flames. He circled the room once, and Trubbish watched him with wide eyes, completely stunned.

"Trubbish!" Anya called out. "Get out of the way!"

"Now, Growlithe!" Callie called out.

Growlithe came barreling across the room and smashed right into Trubbish, sending it crashing into the wall behind it.

Riolu leapt back across the room and landed in front of Callie, while Growlithe circled back around and skidded to a halt beside Riolu, coming out of Flame Wheel to stand beside the fighting-type proudly.

Krokorok and Trubbish both got back to their feet, standing shakily, but still ready to battle.

"Alright, so you have a few tricks up your sleeve — so what?" snapped Lexi. "We aren't finished yet! Krokorok, Sand Tomb!"

"What?" Callie said, not sure what was going to come next.

Then, Krokorok let out a growl as huge wisps of sand came from seemingly nowhere and surrounded Growlithe. Before Callie could give any direction, the wisps of sand turned into a swirling sand vortex, trapping Growlithe inside.

"Growlithe!" Callie called out, catching glimpses of the pokémon through the sand. "Get out of there!"

"Gr-growlithe!" Growlithe called back nervously. He crouched down and jumped, trying to force himself through the vortex, but it was too strong, and Growlithe let out a yelp as he was pushed back into the middle of the vortex.

"Growlithe, no!" Callie called out. She then looked to Riolu. "Riolu, quickly, you have to help Growlithe — use Force Palm!"

"Not so fast!" Anya shouted. "Trubbish, keep Riolu busy with Acid Spray!"

"Trub-trub!" Trubbish said.

Trubbish opened its mouth and fired multiple globs of orange acid at Riolu.

"Riolu, use Quick Attack to dodge — don't stop!" Callie called out.

Riolu nodded and quickly dodged each glob of acid.

"Krokorok, now that we have Growlithe trapped, let's hit him with a Mud-Slap attack!" Lexi laughed.

"No!" Callie called out. "Growlithe, you've got to get out of there!"

"Growl!" Growlithe said with a nod. Once again, Growlithe lunged forward, trying to break out of the vortex, but, just like before, he was simply pushed backwards, trapped inside.

Krokorok took a breath of air through its nostrils and then shot multiple projectiles of mud from its nostrils at towards Growlithe. The mud projectiles penetrated the sand vortex, and Callie watched in horror as each one hit its target, causing Growlithe to call out in pain.

"Growlithe, no!" Callie called out.

However, she was then distracted as Riolu let out a shout. Callie turned and saw his leg had been hit by a glob of orange acid. Riolu fell to the ground, grasping his leg, obviously hurt.

"Riolu, you've got to get up!" Callie called out.

"Trubbish — finish it with Gunk Shot!" Anya said.

Trubbish closed its eyes as if it were focusing very intensely, and suddenly, a silver light started sparkling on the stop of its head. The light then turned into a black bag of garbage outlined in purple, and Trubbish hurled it towards Riolu.

"Riolu, dodge it!" Callie called out. Riolu nodded and attempted to stand, but immediately fell — it was no use. He couldn't stand.

"He can't stand, and if he uses Detect, I risk him being a sitting duck once he stops using it," Callie muttered. "Growlithe is trapped, and Riolu can't dodge that attack, unless. . . . I got it!"

Callie suddenly smiled — they could win this!

"Riolu, use Dig!" Callie called out.

Riolu looked to Callie, wondering what his trainer was thinking.

"Just trust me, Riolu!" Callie said.

Riolu glanced to Callie, and then back at the black, glowing garbage bag that was coming barreling towards him, and then he jumped in the air on one leg and dove straight into the ground, disappearing in a cloud of dirt and dust, leaving nothing behind but a hole. The black bag that Trubbish had thrown at him hit the spot Riolu had been standing just moments before and exploded, sending dozens of pieces of glowing purple garbage flying, but they all hit nothing except the walls around them.

"So, you dodged my Trubbish's Gunk Shot, huh?" Anya said, obviously irritated. "Not bad!"

"But your Growlithe is still trapped!" laughed Lexi.

"We'll just see about that!" Callie said with a smile. "Riolu, dig a hole underneath Growlithe!" Callie watched as the floor below Growlithe suddenly opened up, and Growlithe stared down at it in surprise.

"Argh — Krokorok, quickly, use Mud-Slap again!" Lexi ordered, realizing Callie's plan.

"Growlithe, into the hole!" Callie said.

Growlithe jumped in without any hesitation, and Krokorok's Mud-Slap attack blew right through the sand vortex, the speed and power of the attack destroying the sand tornado, causing sand to fill the room and cloud the battle field. Once the sand had settled, the only pokémon on the field were Krokorok and Trubbish.

"Er — where are they?" said Anya, looking around nervously.

"How should I know?" barked Lexi.

Callie smiled. "Riolu, Growlithe — now! Use Dig!"

The ground beneath Trubbish began trembling, but before the poison-type pokémon could react, Growlithe and Riolu came barreling out of the ground. Immediately, Growlithe used Bite on Trubbish without any command, latching on to it.

"Growlithe, use Flame Wheel — don't let go!" Callie called out.

Growlithe did as he was instructed, using his Flame Wheel and taking Trubbish with him, just like in the battle with Whirlipede. It didn't take but a moment before Growlithe came to a halt and released Trubbish, who collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Riolu, one more time — Force Palm!" Callie ordered.

Riolu turned to Krokorok and lunged forward, wincing at the pain in his leg, but still managing to power through it. Riolu forced his hand against Krokorok's chin, and a yellow light erupted from his palm, once again sending Krokorok flying. However, when Krokorok hit the ground this time, he didn't have the energy to get back up.

"Krokorok, get up!" ordered Lexi, but Krokorok laid on the ground, fainted. "I said get up!"

"Come on, Trubbish!" Anya whined. "You can't let that puny little Growlithe knock you out!"

But it was pointless — the two pokémon had been knocked out cold. Callie and her pokémon all smiled triumphantly, and beside them, she watched as Cheren's Emboar and Simisage finished off Lucas's newly evolved Watchog, and Elias's recently evolved Liepard.

"Well, we made quick work of them," said Cheren with a small smile.

"I can't believe it," said Lexi, shaking her head. "Beat by a twerp. . . ."

"I'm not going to forget this!" Anya growled. "This won't be the last you see of us, brat!"

"Well, we'll be ready next time, won't we, guys?" Callie said, smirking as Growlithe and Riolu both nodded in agreement.

Lucas clenched his fists, his jaw clenched. "I don't know why you're so protective over that Celebi, but I promise, we'll get it one way or another!"

"As long as I'm around, you guys will never get your hands on Celebi!" Callie called out.

"Now, I suggest you four leave before Officer Jenny shows up," Cheren said coldly, crossing his arms over his chest. "She's already on her way, and I'm sure she'd love to throw you all in jail."

Begrudgingly, the four Team Plasma members returned their fainted pokémon and they all quickly retreated, leaving the Pokémon Center in a blink of an eye. Callie and Cheren quickly ran to Nurse Joy, who was still laying on the ground.

"Nurse Joy," Callie said as Cheren lifted her bridal style. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she muttered. "They . . . hit my head with something very hard, and I'm afraid it knocked me out. I'm sorry I wasn't much help."

"It okay," said Cheren. "Callie and I handled those fools — the important thing is that you and the pokémon are okay."

"They wanted Celebi," said Nurse Joy. "They didn't get it, did they?"

Callie smiled softly and shook her head, letting out an airy laugh. "No, Celebi is just fine — they didn't even make it into the back room."

"Oh, that's good," Nurse Joy said with a faint smile. She then looked up at Cheren, her eyes still a bit foggy. "Cheren, I. . . . I think I should probably lie down for a bit. I'm not feeling too well."

"Of course — Callie and I can handle everything from here," said Cheren. Cheren then looked to Callie. "If you don't mind, Callie, I'm going to go put Nurse Joy to bed —"

"We'll start cleaning up in here," said Callie with a smile.

Cheren nodded and walked off with Nurse Joy, and Callie turned to Riolu and Growlithe, ready to compliment the two of them, but when she looked at them, she saw Riolu holding Growlithe in a head lock, meanwhile Growlithe had Riolu's hurt leg trapped in his jaws.

"What is _wrong_ with you two?" Callie groaned, shaking her head. The two pokémon froze and stared at her with wide eyes, and she simply sighed heavily. "Just. . . . Return, you two."

She held up their pokéballs, and the two pokémon were returned to their capsules. Callie looked down at their pokéballs and shook her head silently.

"What am I going to do with you guys?" she muttered to herself before tucking the two pokéballs away. She then turned to look to Haxorus and Simisage, smiling softly.

"Well, guys, I guess it's just the three of us," said Callie with a sheepish grin. "Let's start cleaning!"

An hour later, Callie, Haxorus, and Simisage finished putting the Pokémon Center back together with some help from Cheren, save for the holes in the floor thanks to Riolu's Dig attack. However, Audino was more than happy to bring out some spare ply wood they had in the supply closet, and they laid the wood over the holes to prevent people from stepping in them. Callie then tended to Audino's cut, using some of the medicine Alder had given her — she gave Audino a spoonful, and the wound healed right up. Audino, in return, then used the move Heal Pulse on Growlithe and Riolu, bringing the two of them back to full health.

Once everything was said and done, and Cheren and Callie had given Officer Jenny a full report, the two of them sat down in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, all of their pokémon back in their pokéballs, save for Callie's Oshawott, who insisted on staying out of his pokéball to be on the look out for Team Plasma, should they return. Zoro and Shinx stayed in the back to watch over Celebi, who was fast asleep, getting some much needed rest.

"That was quite some battle you had," Cheren said with a small smile to Callie, who sat slouched in a chair with Oshawott on her lap.

Callie laughed a very dry laugh. "I have to agree with you. For a minute there, I didn't think we were gonna win. Riolu and Growlithe just hate each other so much."

Cheren smiled. "Yes, but you were able to get the two of them to listen to you, and they worked together. It was very impressive to watch you battle — how long have you been a trainer now?"

"Erm. . . ," Callie paused, counting the days — they all sort of blurred together now. "Maybe. . . . Six days?"

"Six days?" Cheren choked. Then he laughed very loudly, shaking his head. "I can't believe it! My, I haven't seen a new trainer battle like that in so long — not since. . . . Well, not since I met White!"

"White?" Callie said with wide eyes. "You mean your friend who went missing?"

Cheren smiled an odd sort of smile and nodded. "Yes, she was very talented. So was Black — he was more level headed than White, but she had this fire, this spunk. . . . She bonded with her pokémon in amazing ways, and so quickly too. . . . It allowed her to battle with them as if they had been partners for years, when in fact it had only been a matter of days. . . ." Cheren smiled and nodded. "I really can't wait for our battle. . . ."

Callie frowned slightly. "Well, Cheren, I-I don't know if I'll be able to battle you today. Riolu and Growlithe both need to rest after that battle, so that only leaves me with Oshawott. I guess that'd be fine if you wanted to do a one-on-one battle, but Hugh and Wes told me your battle was two-on-two."

Cheren frowned slightly and nodded. "Yes, you're right about that — my gym battles are normally two-on-two. . . . I can't come back tomorrow, either, I've got several challengers lined up for the next few days. . . ."

Callie forced a small smile, but on the inside, she was disappointed. She had really been looking forward to getting her Basic Badge. However, she knew that protecting Celebi from Team Plasma was more important than another gym badge, and she could always try to challenge Cheren on a later date.

"Well, I appreciate you coming out all this way," said Callie. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here when Team Plasma attacked."

"Well, I think you would have done just fine," said Cheren. "You handled those two very well on your own — in fact. . . ."

Cheren reached into his pocket and stood up, motioning for Callie to follow suit. Callie took Oshawott in her arms and stood, looking at Cheren oddly. However, Cheren smiled and simply held out his hand, and sitting in his palm, much to Callie's surprise, was the Basic Badge.

"What's this?" Callie said with wide eyes.

"It's yours," Cheren said with a smile.

"But we didn't — I didn't — we didn't battle," Callie said, shaking her head. "I-I don't understand."

"Callie, I've been a gym leader for a while now. Most beginner trainers come to me for their first badge, and often times they win, that's just how it goes. But watching you battle today against Team Plasma with your Riolu and Growlithe. . . . I saw a fierceness in you that I haven't seen in ages. If we had battled today, I have no doubt in my mind that you would have won. So please, do me the honor of taking the Basic Badge," said Cheren, holding it out to her.

Callie stared at him with wide eyes, and then down at Oshawott in her arms, who nodded enthusiastically, urging her to take the badge.

"A-and you're sure?" Callie stammered.

Cheren nodded, and a smile spread across Callie's face as she took the Basic Badge in her hand.

"I can't believe it, Oshawott!" Callie squealed. "We got the Basic Badge!"

"Osha!"

_"What?!"_

Callie and Oshawott froze, and they, along with Cheren, turned towards the front door, where they saw Hugh and Wes standing there, staring at them.

"Cheren?" said Wes. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, Wes, Hugh, nice to see you two boys again," said Cheren with a smile. "I was just visiting Callie here — she actually earned herself the Basic Badge!"

"No way!" Wes said, coming over to see. "Congrats!"

"Thanks, Wes," Callie said with a smile. "How'd you two do?"

_"Well,"_ Wes said with a nervous smile. "I managed to win myself a badge, but Hugh on the other hand —"

_"I can't believe it!" _shouted Hugh, stomping over towards them. "Wes won a badge from Roxie, and you won a stinking badge from Cheren, but I couldn't win?! _What is wrong with me?_"

"I take it as the battle didn't go so well?" Callie said with a sheepish chuckle.

"Didn't go so well? That's the understatement of the century," muttered Hugh. "I thought Magnemite would sweep the floor with her pokémon since it's a steel-type, but she knocked out Magnemite with two moves. Snivy and Pidove didn't stand a chance. Man, it was embarrassing. . . ."

"I'm sorry, Hugh," Callie said with a frown.

"Well, it's okay — Roxie agreed to a rematch five days from now, so my pokémon and I are gonna train super hard so we're ready for our next battle!" said Hugh with a smile. "Now, I just gotta find Nurse Joy!"

"Actually, Nurse Joy is resting right now," said Cheren. "There was a bit of an incident today. . . ."

"An incident?" said Wes. "What happened?"

"Team Plasma, that's what happened," said Callie, shaking her head. "They came here for Celebi!"

"What? No way!" exclaimed Wes.

"You're always right in the action, Callie!" Hugh said with wide eyes.

"Trust me, it wasn't much fun — there was four of them this time," Callie said, shaking her head.

"Seriously? And you won?" said Hugh.

"Well, Cheren took two and I took two," said Callie. "But Riolu and Growlithe sure didn't make it easy — they hate each other."

"Wait a minute, you had a double battle?" said Wes.

"I haven't even done that," Hugh muttered.

"Yes, Callie here is quite the trainer," said Cheren with a smile. "I was intending to battle her myself, but after seeing her and her pokémon work together to finish off Team Plasma, well, there was no doubt in my mind that she was more than deserving of the Basic Badge."

Wes smiled and nodded. "I definitely agree! Callie's an amazing trainer! You should have seen her battling Roxie the other night!"

"Well, if it was even half as good as the performance she put on earlier, I can only imagine," Cheren said with a laugh.

"Wait, so you're telling me she got the gym badge without even having to battle you? That's no fair! Isn't that against the rules?" snapped Hugh.

_"Hugh,"_ sighed Wes.

"As the Aspertia City Gym Leader, I'm allowed to give my badges to whomever I see fit; I've decided that Callie was more than deserving of the badge, so I've given her one," said Cheren, his tone cold and even. Hugh shrunk some.

"Now, Hugh why don't you go see Audino? Nurse Joy has left her in charge for the moment while she's resting. As for you two," Cheren said, turning towards Wes and Callie. "I suggest you two prepare yourselves for a long night. I don't know if Team Plasma intends to return for another attempt to take Celebi, but if they do, I think you two should both be ready."

Wes and Callie nodded, and Oshawott gave a mini salute. Cheren smiled and nodded thoughtfully.

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few errands to run before returning to Aspertia City," he said as he headed for the door. Just as he was about to leave, he paused and turned towards Callie. "Oh, and Callie — I do hope we get the chance to battle some day. I'd love to see what you and your pokémon are capable of in a full on battle."

Callie smiled and nodded. "You got it. Thanks again for everything, Cheren!"

Cheren gave a fleeting wave with his hand and left, and Callie, Oshawott, Wes, and Hugh watched him disappear from sight.

Once he was gone, Hugh let out a long sigh. "Man, this stinks — you guys are both ahead of me now. . . . I can't believe Cheren gave you a gym badge for fighting Team Plasma. Anyone could have done that," he muttered, scowling at the glistening badge in Callie's hand.

Callie clenched her fist around the badge, and Oshawott narrowed his eyes at Hugh. "Hey, my pokémon and I had to battle really hard today in order to beat Team Plasma, so we definitely deserve this, got it?"

Hugh's eyes widened slightly as Callie lost her temper a bit. Then he frowned and turned away and walked towards the front desk, where Audino was eagerly waiting to help him. Callie let out a heavy sigh and frowned, opening her hand and looking at the badge resting in her palm.

"Is he right?" Callie said softly to Wes and Oshawott. "Do I really not deserve this?"

"Osha. . . ," Oshawott said, shaking his head; of course he thought Callie deserved it.

Wes smiled sympathetically and shook his head, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "Don't worry about Hugh — he's just really mad he lost. He'll come around, no worries."

Callie smiled softly and nodded. "Well. . . . I hope you're right."

Wes grinned and and then clapped his hands together. "Well, you heard Cheren — you and I are going to need to stay up all night to watch over Celebi! So, why don't you go take a nap and rest up? I'll help Hugh get over his loss and keep an eye on everyone, okay?"

Callie nodded, and she and Oshawott went to her room, the two of them getting into bed. Oshawott curled up next to Callie, happy to be sleeping outside his pokéball, and Callie managed to force herself to get some rest, preparing herself for what would undoubtedly be a long night.


	9. Escape from Virbank!

Chapter Nine

The next few days passed without much incident — Wes and Callie both stayed up at night, keeping an eye on the Pokémon Center from the inside, meanwhile Officer Jenny beefed up security on the outside of the Pokémon Center. Of course, the security didn't go unnoticed; with officers positioned around the building all day, people were beginning to wonder what kind of pokémon was being kept at the Pokémon Center that would require this kind of protection.

"Maybe it's one of the legendary dogs," Callie overheard a young girl say to a boy around her age.

"It's probably Entei," he said with a shrug.

"Or maybe it's not a legendary dog — maybe it's Latios!" said another.

"Whatever it is, it must be really special to need all this protection," said the young girl who suggested the possibility of a legendary dog.

It was the day before Hugh's rematch with Roxie. Hugh was off training with his pokémon, and Callie and Wes were sitting at the Pokémon Center, Tepig and Oshawott chasing each other around playfully. Zoro and Shinx had both been very scarce — they mostly spent their time watching over Celebi and rarely left the backroom. Callie only saw them a few times a day whenever she brought them food and checked up on them and Celebi.

"I'm worried about Zoro and Shinx," Callie said quietly to Wes, making sure the gossiping children next to them couldn't overhear her. "They never leave Celebi's side."

Wes shook his head, smiling softly. "There's nothing to worry yourself about — Celebi is their friend, it's only natural for them to want to be there to help it however it may need."

"But they haven't gone outside for days," Callie muttered. "That run in with Team Plasma really has them scared."

"It has everyone scared, Callie. Look at this place," Wes said, motioning all around him. "There are four police officers patrolling the grounds outside as we speak; you and I haven't gotten a proper night's sleep in days because we've been staying up to keep an eye out for Team Plasma. No one's going to be able to relax as long as Team Plasma knows Celebi is here."

Callie sighed and nodded; Wes was right, there was no denying that. Wanting a change of subject, Callie looked to Wes. "How are you handling everything?" she said curiously. "You've had a few days to absorb everything I told you — you know, me, Celebi, Team Plasma —"

"You mean how you're some hero in time sent back to help me stop Team Plasma?" Wes said curiously, cracking a grin. Callie rolled her eyes playfully and nodded, and Wes chuckled. "Well, it's was all very surreal for a while there, but now, after meeting Celebi, I guess it's finally sinking in — this is really happening. You're fighting Team Plasma."

"_We're_ fighting Team Plasma," Callie corrected.

"_I_ haven't done anything," Wes said, shaking his head. "You've been doing all the heavy lifting — out of the three encounters we've had with Team Plasma, I've been present for one of them. Hell, Cheren has been just about as useful as I have this entire time. You're the only one really doing anything."

Callie rolled her eyes but before she could say anything, she thought back to Cheren and the conversation they had about his friends, Black and White, and how the two of them disappeared after the final battle with Team Plasma. She had been thinking about it for several days now, fighting with the idea to tell Wes or not. She kept trying to convince herself that it was all a coincidence, but something inside her kept telling her it wasn't — they disappeared after their final battle, and Wes was supposed to disappear after his final battle. Callie hadn't wanted to bother Wes with it, but she wanted to know what his thoughts were.

"Wes," Callie said, frowning softly. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you — something Cheren said."

"Yeah?" Wes said. "What was it?"

"Just the people I've been looking for!"

Callie and Wes both turned and saw Nurse Joy standing beside them, smiling brightly.

"How are you two doing today?" Nurse Joy said happily.

"Just fine," said Callie. "How are you feeling, Nurse Joy?"

"Yeah, how's your head?" said Wes.

"Oh, I'm feeling much better now," Nurse Joy said. "I wanted to thank you two for all the effort you've been putting into keep the Pokémon Center safe — Audino and I greatly appreciate it."

"Of course," Wes and Callie said in unison, both smiling.

Nurse Joy then looked around, as if making sure no one was watching, and motioned for Callie and Wes to follow her.

"You two come with me — I'd like to speak to you both in private," she said quietly before turning away from them and walking towards the door that led to the backroom.

Callie and Wes glanced at each other, as if expecting the other one to know what this was for, but of course, neither of them knew. So they both stood and followed after Nurse Joy, Tepig and Oshawott following after their trainers. As the door to the backroom opened, every trainer in the Pokémon Center lobby froze and tried to peer around Nurse Joy, Callie, and Wes in a feeble attempt to catch a glimpse at the 'mysterious' pokémon being kept at the Pokémon Center. However, the three of them, along with Oshawott and Tepig, quickly slipped into the backroom and the door shut behind them.

"What's going on, Nurse Joy?" said Wes curiously as they all walked into the room with the incubation chambers.

"I think it's time to move Celebi," said Nurse Joy, walking to the incubation chamber that Celebi was in.

However, the chamber was no longer closed; it was left open, and Celebi was sitting upright, Shinx and Zoro sitting beside it. The three of them looked up when they spotted Callie, Wes, and Nurse Joy.

"Move Celebi?" said Callie. "Do you think Celebi is ready for that?"

"Well, it's already doing much better than when you first brought it here," said Nurse Joy. "I just think the longer you stay here, the more danger Celebi is in. I mean, Team Plasma already knows that it's staying here. It's a miracle they haven't come back already."

"I don't know," Wes said, frowning. "Celebi, how are you feeling?"

"Much better," said Celebi with a smile. "I'm still a bit weak though — I can't fly yet."

Callie smiled weakly and looked to Nurse Joy. "I know Team Plasma is a concern, but don't you think Celebi needs a few more days?"

Nurse Joy frowned. "I'm sure it could still use some rest, but I really don't feel like it safe here; all the trainers around here know something is up, and Team Plasma isn't going to wait too much longer."

Callie shook her head. "No, we can't —"

"Callie," Wes said quickly. "Nurse Joy is right. Everyone around here is too curious — someone is going to find out about Celebi, and there's no telling what their reaction may be. They may try to catch Celebi. And as for Team Plasma, well. . . . You've had three run-ins with them. I don't think we should risk the chance of them showing up again, don't you agree?"

Callie frowned. "I mean, yeah, you're right, but Celebi —"

"Will be _fine_," said Wes, shaking his head. "We're more than capable of taking care of Celebi for a few days on the way to Castelia City."

"You're heading to Castelia City?" said Nurse Joy.

Callie nodded — it was their next stop. Her home town. She couldn't help but wonder what it looked like now.

"Yeah, we are — that's where the next gym is," Wes said.

Nurse Joy smiled. "Well, perfect. My sister runs the Pokémon Center there. If you'd like, I can call her and explain the situation, that way once you get to Castelia City, you can go to the Pokémon Center, and she can look over Celebi for you."

Wes smiled. "That sounds wonderful. What do you think, Callie? Can you get on board with that plan?"

Callie paused — it wasn't a bad plan at all. And Celebi did seem to be feeling better. . . . So, with a nod, Callie smiled softly. "Okay, I guess that will work. When should we leave?"

"Well, I was thinking tonight," said Nurse Joy. "If you leave at night, there's less of a chance of someone seeing you two."

"Tonight?" said Callie. "But Hugh's battle with Roxie isn't until tomorrow — there's no way he'll go with us."

Wes frowned. "Well. . . . We can always tell him what's going on and ask him to meet us in Castelia City. Hugh is reasonable, he may go for it."

"I guess," said Callie. "But even so, how are we going to get to Castelia City at night? There aren't any ferries leaving the port late at night."

"Not normally, you're right," said Nurse Joy. "However, Captain Roxie has agreed to take you there tonight — I've already spoken to him and explained the severity of the situation."

"Captain Roxie?" echoed Wes.

"Do you mean Roxie's father?" Callie said.

Nurse Joy smiled. "Exactly! He seemed very eager to help once I mentioned your name, Callie."

"You know Roxie's dad?" Wes said with a raised eyebrow.

Callie chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, we've met."

"So, it's agreed then — you'll leave tonight?" said Nurse Joy. "I think it's the safest option for everyone."

Callie nodded. "Yeah, we leave tonight!" She smiled and looked to Celebi and Zoro. "Is that okay with you two?"

"Zor!" Zoro said with a nod.

"I can't wait," said Celebi. "Thank you two again for agreeing to help."

"Well, it's our pleasure," said Wes.

Callie then looked to Shinx, who was staring at her with a sort of frown. "Well, Shinx, I guess this means that after tonight, you're free to go back to the forest. Thanks again for watching after Celebi," Callie said with a smile, reaching out and patting his head.

"Shi?" Shinx said, his eyes wide — it seemed as though that wasn't what he was hoping to hear.

However, Callie was oblivious to Shinx's apparent disappointment, and she straightened up and looked to Wes.

"I guess we'd better go find Hugh," said Callie. "You know he's not going to be happy."

Wes rolled his eyes. "Come on, give the guy some credit — he's more understanding than you think." 

_"You're leaving me?!" _Hugh practically shouted to the entire cafeteria as he, Callie, and Wes were eating an early dinner.

It was the moment Callie and Wes broke the news to him that they were leaving that night. Oshawott, who was sitting on Callie's lap while they ate, jumped and clung on to his trainer's arm for dear life, obviously not prepared for Hugh's sudden outburst.

"Some friends you are!" Hugh snapped, pushing away from the table. "You two got your badges, and now you're leaving me behind!"

"Hugh, that's not how it is!" Wes said.

"That's sure how it looks!" Hugh said.

"Yeah, he's _real_ understanding," Callie muttered, stroking the top of Oshawott's head in order to calm him.

Wes shot her a look before looking back to Hugh. "I swear, Hugh, it's not that we're trying to leave you behind. Nurse Joy asked us to leave."

"What? Why would she do that?" Hugh said, his anger lapsing for just a moment.

Wes glanced around, trying to see if anyone was paying attention, and then motioned for Hugh to lean in close.

"She wants Callie and me to get Celebi out of Virbank City," Wes said lowly. "She's worried Team Plasma is going to try to steal Celebi again."

Hugh's eyes widened slightly and his cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink.

"O-oh," he said, sitting back down slowly. "So, that's really why you're leaving? You're not just ditching me?"

"Of course not," said Wes with a chuckle.

"We'll wait for you in Castelia City, if you want," Callie offered with a smile. "But this is something Nurse Joy asked us to do; she already made arrangements for transportation for us and everything, and she called ahead to the Pokémon Center in Castelia City so they know we're coming."

Hugh nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I guess you guys don't have much of a choice. . . ." He sighed heavily and nodded. "Alright, alright — fine. I'll let it slide this time. But you won't leave Castelia City without me, promise?"

"We promise," Callie and Wes said in unison, both of them chuckling.

"Good!" said Hugh. "Well, I guess this is the last I'll be seeing you two for a few days — I want to go get a bit more training in before my big rematch with Roxie tomorrow!"

He stood up and grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "Alright, you two, wish me luck! The next time you see me, I'll be one step closer to being the best pokémon trainer the Unova region has ever seen!"

"Good luck," Callie said with a smile.

"Don't forget to let your pokémon rest!" Wes called out as Hugh took off, leaving the cafeteria, and no doubt leaving the pokémon center. Wes sighed, shaking his head. "That guy. . . . He's just always going, he never slows down."

"I know what you mean," said Callie with an amused grin as she began picking at the fries on her plate again, offering one to Oshawott.

"Osha! Wott!" Oshawott said excitedly, taking the french fry from her happily.

Wes smiled as he watched the two of them, and then his looked as if he remembered something important. "Hey — what were you trying to tell me earlier?"

Callie paused and looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Earlier, when we were sitting in the lobby, right before Nurse Joy walked up," said Wes, trying to jog Callie's memory. "You said Cheren told you something that you wanted to tell me."

"O-oh, right — _that_," Callie said, her heart lurching — why did he have to remember that? And why did she think that it was even a good idea to mention it?

"Well, what is it?" said Wes.

Callie sighed, handing the french fry she had intended to eat to Oshawott, who eagerly took it.

"The other day, Cheren told me about his pokémon journey that he took two years ago," Callie started. "He told me about how he, Bianca, and their two friends, Black and White, set off on their journey all together. Apparently, two years ago is when Team Plasma first tried rising to power."

"Yeah, yeah," Wes said thoughtfully, nodding. "I remember that."

"I guess Cheren, Bianca, Black, and White are the ones who stopped them the first time," said Callie.

"No way!" Wes said incredulously. "Cheren helped stopped Team Plasma?"

Callie nodded. "He said that Black and White did most of the work, but he and Bianca helped along the way. But that's besides the point — according to Cheren, during the final battle with Team Plasma, both Black and White disappeared. He and Bianca don't know where they are; they just vanished."

"That's terrible," Wes muttered. "I can't imagine. . . ."

"Don't you get it, Wes?" Callie said, completely oblivious to the fact that Oshawott was stealing more fries from her plate. "Black and White disappeared during their final battle with Team Plasma, and no one knows where they are. Just like you! You disappear during your final battle without a trace. . . . What if it's not a coincidence?"

"So what? You think that whatever happened to Black and White is going to happen to me?" said Wes. "These seem like two completely isolated incidents."

"Isolated incidents?" Callie said incredulously. "Seriously? Black and White have a big show down with Team Plasma, and you disappear during your big battle — come on, Wes!"

"I don't see where you're going with this," he said, shaking his head. "I mean, did Cheren at least tell you what happened to Black and White?"

"Well, erm — well, no," Callie said sheepishly. "Audino came and alerted us about Team Plasma before I could ask, but that doesn't mean that the two events aren't related! I think that if we can find out what happened to Black and White, we can make sure it doesn't happen to you."

"And how are you going to find out?" said Wes. "In the last two years, no one's ever mentioned what happened to Black and White — do you think Bianca will tell you?"

Callie frowned some. "I. . . . I'm not sure. The other day when I mentioned our run in with Team Plasma at Floccesy Ranch, she sort of shut down. Cheren said losing both Black and White was really hard for her, which is probably why she didn't want to talk about it."

"And you don't have any way to contact Cheren, do you?" said Wes.

"Er — yeah, right," said Callie. However, not one to give up easily, her face set into a very determined gaze as she looked across the table at Wes. "I still think this is worth looking into, Wes! I mean, we may be able to find a way to save you after all!"

Wes stared at her, a mixture of emotions on his face. Finally he cracked a small smile, shaking his head softly as he let out a very airy chuckle.

"Look, Callie, I. . . . I appreciate it, but let's not get our hopes up, okay? Whatever happens to me is going to happen. Right now let's just worry about the task at hand, and that's taking care of Celebi, okay? We can worry about whatever is going to happen to me later, alright?" said Wes gently, looking at Callie with an almost sympathetic gaze.

Callie could help but be reminded of the look her mother gave her whenever she thought she was being hopelessly optimistic, and it appeared that Wes was also skilled in giving the exact same expression. Callie sat there, admittedly surprised by his lack of reaction; she had thought Wes would have more to say. After all, she had just told him that she may have found a way to save him. Now a bit perturbed, she watched as Wes turned his attention back to his dinner and began eating again, seemingly unfazed by their conversation.

Deciding she wanted to hurry up and get back to her room, Callie looked down at her plate, ready to finish off her fries so she could leave go pack her things. However, when she looked down, she found that her plate had been picked clean, not so much as a crumb left.

"What?" Callie said, her eyes widening. "What happened to my fries?"

She then looked down at Oshawott, who was leaning back in her lap, his stomach obviously very full, and he was wearing a content, glutinous smile on his face.

_"Oshawott,"_ Callie groaned. "You ate all my fries, didn't you?"

_"Oooosha!"_ Oshawott said with a sleepy nod, ready to doze off now that he had eaten his fill (and then some).

Callie grinned and sighed softly, unable to hide her amusement. She pushed away from the table, carrying Oshawott in one arm and stood, looking to Wes.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna go pack," Callie said, her tone a bit short and cold, which she had intended. She turned to leave, but she felt something grab her free hand. She stopped and turned, surprised to see that Wes had leaned across the table and grabbed her.

"Callie," Wes said, looking at her. "I really do appreciate you trying to help. We'll look into it, okay? I promise. But right now, it's just. . . . It's a bit scary to think about it, so I'm doing my best to distract myself."

Callie's face softened and she nodded. "Right — got it. Well, then let's worry about getting through tonight. What time are we leaving?"

"Nurse Joy said that Captain Roxie will be ready to leave at midnight, so I think we should try to leave here no later than eleven thirty — sound good?"

Callie nodded. "Perfect, I'll see you then." 

Eleven thirty came quickly, and soon, Callie and Wes stood in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, bags packed, pokémon stowed away, and both of them ready to leave. The lobby was completely empty — any and all trainers staying at the center had long since gone to sleep. Audino stood behind the desk, looking out for any trainers who may be arriving to Virbank City at this hour. Outside two officers stood, one on either side of the door, keeping their eyes peeled for any trouble. Callie and Wes's bikes were already outside, ready for the two of them.

The door to the backroom opened, and Nurse Joy came walking out, a bundle of blankets in her arms, Zoro and Shinx trailing behind her.

"I see you two are ready," Nurse Joy said with a smile..

"Of course we are," Wes said with a smile. "Where's Celebi?"

"Right here," she said, motioning to the blankets in her arms. "I thought it'd be best to at least try to conceal it some."

"Smart idea," said Wes. He then looked to Callie. "Why don't you carry Celebi? After all, you're the one who found it."

Callie nodded and took Celebi from Nurse Joy, pushing the blankets back enough so she could see Celebi. Sure enough, the moment its face was exposed, Celebi smiled up at Callie.

"Thank you both so much," said Celebi. "I'm sorry to be such a burden on you, but I should be back to my full strength in a few days."

"You're not a burden — we're happy to do it, aren't we, Wes?" Callie said with a smile.

Wes nodded and Callie looked down at Zoro.

"Well, come on, Zoro, let's get going!"

Zoro smiled and jumped up onto Callie's shoulder, ready to go. Then Callie looked to Shinx, who sat on the ground, staring up at her expectantly.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye, isn't it?" Callie said softly. "You've been a lot of help, Shinx — thank you!"

"S-shinx?" Shinx said softly.

"Come on, Callie, we'd best get going," said Wes. "Remember, Captain Roxie is ready to leave at midnight; we don't want to be late."

"Right," Callie said with a nod. "Well, thank you again, Nurse Joy — you too, Audino! Shinx, take care of yourself, okay?"

And with that, Callie and Wes headed out the doors of the Pokémon Center, Shinx watching helplessly as they went.

Once outside, Wes and Callie mounted their bikes. Callie put Celebi in the basket of her bike, and Celebi sat up, its head still covered by the blanket, but its face exposed so it could see the city. Zoro jumped down in the basket beside it, and the two pokémon cozied up next to one another.

"Do you know how to get to the docks?" said Callie.

"Mhmm, just follow me!" Wes said.

And they were off.

Inside the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy had gone back to her seat behind the front desk while Audino went to go do some rounds and check on the pokémon that had been left in their care. While she sat at the computer looking over some emails, she glanced over the screen a few times and saw that Shinx was still sitting in the same spot he had been in right before Callie and Wes left. Nurse Joy frowned softly, feeling bad for the poor pokémon — she could tell that Shinx had been hoping that Callie would invite him to come along with her and Wes, but unfortunately for him, Callie hadn't realized it.

"Shinx?" Nurse Joy called out. The electric-type pokémon looked over his shoulder towards her, his eyes glistening with the threat of tears. "Oh, Shinx. . . . Maybe you should get some rest? You're more than welcomed to stay here."

Shinx looked back to the door, as if hoping that Callie would come running through any moment and ask him to join them. However, the doors remained closed, no sign of anyone coming through them any time soon. Shinx let out a loud sigh and stood, his head hanging low as he moved to walk towards Nurse Joy. However, just as Shinx was about to take a step, he froze, his head suddenly straightening up, his ears twitching.

"Shinx?" said Nurse Joy curiously. "Is everything okay?"

Shinx didn't respond though, and instead he stood there for a few more moments, unmoving. Then, quite suddenly, he turned towards the front door and sprinted towards it at full speed.

_"Shi! Shi! Shinx!"_ Shinx exclaimed, pawing at the doors — he wasn't big enough to set off the sensors.

"What's wrong, Shinx?" Nurse Joy said, standing up. She wasn't sure what was wrong, but she could tell something had Shinx very upset.

"Shinx!" was all he replied, staring at her expectantly.

Curious, Nurse Joy walked to the front doors. The moment she got close enough to the door, the sensors picked up on Nurse Joy, and the door slid open, allowing Shinx to dart outside.

"Shinx! Wait!" Nurse Joy called out.

However, Shinx didn't listen — he took off in the same direction that Callie and Wes had left, using their scent to follow after them. Nurse Joy watched from the front door of the Pokémon Center, looking on as Shinx disappeared around a corner and out of sight.

"Oh, Shinx," Nurse Joy said quietly to herself. "Please be careful."

Meanwhile, Callie and Wes were riding through the darkened streets of Virbank City, not a single person in sight — Roxie wasn't having a show tonight, so there was no crowd outside her gym, and no faint sound of music humming through the streets. It seemed as though the entire endeavor was going to be rather uneventful.

"The docks are just up ahead, past Roxie's gym," said Wes. "We may even be there a few minutes early, perfect —"

"Wes! Callie! Wait!"

The two trainers slammed on their brakes, nearly causing their bikes to flip over. Callie looked over her shoulder and saw two people running towards them —

"Hugh? Roxie?" Callie exclaimed upon recognizing the figures.

It was true — both Hugh and Roxie were coming out of Roxie's gym and running straight towards them.

"What are you guys doing?" Wes exclaimed.

"We were practicing!" Hugh said excitedly as they caught up to Callie and Wes. "I begged Roxie to have a practice battle with me, one-on-one, to see if I have a chance tomorrow!"

"Yeah, we just finished up and were leaving when we saw you two riding by," said Roxie with a grin. "Where are you two headed?"

"They're heading to the docks!" Hugh said before Callie or Wes could answer. "They're taking Celebi to Castelia City!"

_"Hugh!"_ Callie and Wes snapped.

"What? Celebi?" echoed Roxie, a look of disbelief on her face. "Really?"

Callie sighed heavily and nodded, shooting Hugh a nasty glare. "Yeah — see?"

She motioned for Roxie to come around the front of her bike, and she did, where she spotted Celebi and Zoro sitting in the basket.

"No way, that's so totally cool!" Roxie said, her face brightening up. "So that means the rumors about the rare pokémon at the Pokémon Center must be true, right? You guys were hiding Celebi there?"

"Yes, that's right," said Wes, growing a bit impatient. "But we don't have much time to talk, we really have to get going — Captain Roxie is going to be ready to leave soon."

"Captain Roxie? You mean my dad?" Roxie said with a laugh. "No way, that's so awesome! Do you mind if I tag along?"

"Me too!" said Hugh with wide eyes. "Please?"

Wes sighed, obviously frustrated. "If we say yes can we please get going?"

_"Yes!"_ Roxie and Hugh said in unison.

"Then come on," Wes muttered.

Callie and Wes got off their bikes and proceeded to push them as they walked along side Hugh and Roxie. The four of them were talking happily to one another for a few moments; Wes and Callie filled Roxie in about how Callie had found Celebi, and even the events including Team Plasma attacking the Pokémon Center. Soon enough though, Callie was able to pick up on the smell of the ocean — they were close to the docks.

"We're almost there," Wes said with a smile when he saw the look on Callie's face. Callie looked forward and smiled — she could see the docks, and past that, the wide open ocean. They only had a few more buildings to pass, and then they were home free.

"You hear that, Celebi?" said Callie. "We're almost out of here!"

"Thank you all, so much!" Celebi said happily from the basket.

"W-whoa!" Hugh exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"It can talk?" said Roxie.

Wes and Callie both chuckled.

"Sort of — it's telepathy," Callie explained.

"Wow, so cool," Roxie said.

"Man, I wish we didn't have to let Celebi go," groaned Hugh.

"Well, don't worry about that," said a voice from the shadows. "Celebi won't be going too much further."

The four friends froze and watched as three figures stepped out from the only alleyway that stood between them and the dock. Immediately, Callie recognized them —

"You again," Callie growled, narrowing her eyes at them. The trio before them consisted of Lexi, Elias, and Anya.

"You know these guys?" Roxie said, staring down the trio before her.

"Yeah, we're familiar with one another," Wes said, dismounting his bike and putting himself in between Callie and the Team Plasma grunts.

"Just hand over Celebi, and we'll be out of your hair," Lexi called out.

"I told you last time that I wouldn't do that!" Callie said lowly.

"So, are you guys Team Plasma, then?" said Roxie, quickly connecting the dots.

"That's right! We're Team Plasma!" said Anya. "Two years ago. . . . We were betrayed by the man we respected as our king and hero! So our conquest of the Unova region ended in failure! However, we will not give up! We will persevere!"

"We already have another plan in motion," said Elias.

"Shut it!" snapped Hugh, taking a dangerous step forward. "You guys are the worst. You talk about saving pokémon, but you're just pokémon thieves! Don't think I'll ever forgive you!"

"I'm getting real tired of you brats," Lexi growled in irritation.

"Well, you know, Lexi, we could just steal their pokémon," said Anya with a devilish grin. "We already know the brat with Celebi has some impressive pokémon — just imagine the kind of pokémon her friends have!"

"What a great idea, Anya," said Lexi with a grin. "Okay, kiddos, give it your best shot; your pokémon are ours! Krokorok, let's go!"

"Trubbish, come on out!"

"Liepard, you're up!"

The Team Plasma trio released their three pokémon, and Callie clenched her fists, reaching for a pokéball on her belt.

"I'm getting real tired of this," she muttered, ready to pull out Oshawott's pokéball.

"Callie, no!" Wes said quickly, stopping her in her tracks. "You leave these guys to us — you focus solely on protecting Celebi! We can't have you getting distracted and them getting their hands on it!"

Callie frowned, her hand hesitating as it rested on Oshawott's pokéball. "But —"

"We're supposed to stop Team Plasma together, aren't we?" said Wes quietly so only Callie could hear him. "That's why you were brought here, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah, but —"

"Then let me handle this. You protect Celebi, got it?" said Wes.

Reluctantly, Callie pulled her hand away from Oshawott's pokéball and gave a firm nod.

"Right — you guys handle them. I'll hang back," Callie said.

"Perfect — Tepig, I choose you!"

And so the battle was on. Roxie was battling Elias's Liepard with her Koffing, Hugh was facing off against Anya's Trubbish with Pidove, and Wes's Tepig was going head to head with Lexi's Krokorok. Callie stood back, trying her best to keep up with all three battles — Roxie's Koffing was just too fast for Liepard, and its speed was overwhelming it with ease. Pidove was small and fast, allowing it to easily dodge Trubbish's Sludge attack, all the while landing some critical hits.

Tepig, on the other hand, wasn't fairing so well against Lexi's Krokorok. It was currently trapped in Krokorok's Sand Tomb, and Krokorok was landing a barrage of Mud-Slap attacks on it.

"Er — hang in there, Tepig!" Wes called out. "I know you can do it!"

"Te. . . . Pig!" Tepig called out, obviously in pain.

"Tepig, hold on!" Callie exclaimed.

"Oh, I would be more worried about yourself than that little piglet," sneered a voice from behind Callie.

Callie quickly turned and found herself face to face with none other than Lucas, letting out a surprised shout.

"You," Callie growled. "I should have known you'd be lurking around."

"Callie!" Wes exclaimed when he saw Lucas staring down at Callie. "Get out of here! We'll meet up later!"

"Right!"

Callie tried to set off on her bike, but Lucas wasn't having it — he quickly rushed forward and reached out, catching Callie by the collar of her shirt, and he pulled her off the bike, throwing her to the ground. Her bike toppled over without her there to hold it up, and Celebi and Zoro both fell out of the basket. Lucas stood over Callie, his Watchog beside him, both of them staring down at her with an evil grin.

"Looks like I finally got the best of you," Lucas said with a laugh.

"We'll see about that," Callie muttered to herself, reaching for the pokéballs on her belt. Lucas noticed this and quickly stomped on her hand, stopping her in her tracks. "Argh — get off!"

"I can't have you and those pesky little pokémon of yours getting in my way, can I?" Lucas said. "Watchog, grab Celebi!"

"Hog!" Watchog grunted, turning towards Celebi and Zoro.

Zoro quickly jumped to his feet, crouching down in front of Celebi protectively.

_"Zooor,"_ Zoro growled lowly.

"Watchog, deal with that Zorua — use Hyper Fang!"

Watchog launched itself at Zoro, a white aura surrounding its mouth in a fang-like shape. Before Callie could call out to Zoro, Watchog hit him with its Hyper Fang attack, causing Zoro to let out a cry of pain as he skidded backwards. However, Zoro stayed on his feet, and he narrowed his eyes at Watchog dangerously.

"Zoro, don't let him get ahold of Celebi!" Callie called out.

"Shut up!" Lucas spat at her before turning back to Watchog. "Let's make this easy — use Hypnosis, Watchog!"

Watchog nodded and turned towards Zoro, his eyes beginning to glow blue. Then, in Watchog's hands, two blue orbs appeared, and he threw them at Zoro. Zoro, obviously confused, wasn't able to dodge the attack, and both orbs hit him head on. Zoro stood there for a moment, looking completely unfazed.

"Ha, it didn't even work!" Callie laughed.

However, Lucas simply just smiled. "Oh, is that so? Think again."

Callie looked back towards Zoro and saw that his eyes were beginning to droop, and he was swaying where he stood. Zoro was trying to resist the urge to fall asleep, but his eye lids were getting heavy. Then, as if he couldn't fight it anymore, his eyes shut completely and Zoro fell over, fast asleep.

"Zoro, no!" Callie exclaimed.

Lucas laughed. "Now, Watchog, if you wouldn't mind — grab them!"

"Celebi, run!" Callie cried.

Celebi tried to lift itself, but it was apparent that it was simply still too weak, and Celebi couldn't get up. Lucas smiled.

"You're mine, Celebi!"

Watchog lunged towards Celebi, ready to capture it, but something blue and glowing suddenly tackled Watchog from the side, knocking him to the ground and shocking him simultaneously.

"What?" gasped Lucas.

Callie's eyes locked on to the electric figure, and she felt herself smiling.

"Shinx!" Callie called out. "You're here!"

Shinx jumped off of Watchog, landing in front of Celebi and Zoro, a determined smile on his face.

"Is that the same puny Shinx from the forest?" Lucas growled in frustration.

Callie, seeing that Lucas was distracted, grabbed his ankle with her free hand and pulled, causing him to fall to the ground. She then quickly scrambled to her feet and away from his reach and ran to stand beside Shinx.

"Argh — I'm sick and tired of you and your dumb, annoying pokémon!" Lucas snapped as he stood to his feet. "I'm taking Celebi, and even that damn Zorua — _now_!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it, isn't that right, Shinx?" said Callie. Shinx looked up at Callie, smiling softly. "Well, Shinx — will you battle with me?"

Shinx's face looked suddenly determined, and he offered Callie a small smirk as he nodded, turning his attention back to the Watchog before them. Callie then pulled out her PokéDex.

"Dexter, what are Shinx's moves?"

"Shinx's known moves are Spark, Charge, and Bite."

Callie nodded and put her PokéDex back in her pocket, ready to battle.

"Alright, then, Shinx — use Charge!"

"Shi-shinx!"

Shinx's body suddenly became surrounded in light blue sparks as it began to gather electricity in its body.

"Don't let it store too much power!" Lucas instructed. "Stop it with Hyper Fang!"

Watchog nodded and he began running towards Shinx, the same white aura appearing.

"Shinx, dodge it, let's go!" Callie called out.

Shinx quickly jumped in the air, dodging the attack, light blue sparks still surrounding it. Then, the sparks suddenly stopped, and Callie smiled.

"Alright, Shinx — it's time! Use a super charged Spark attack, let's go!"

"Shi-shi-shi-_SHINX_!"

Shinx suddenly did a nose dive, heading straight towards Watchog, who was standing directly below him. Shinx's body was suddenly enveloped in a staggering array of blue electricity, and he tackled Watchog, causing the normal-type pokémon to let out a great cry. Then, the Spark attack faded and Shinx jumped backwards, landing beside Callie, ready for the battle to continue. However, much to both Callie and Shinx's surprise, it didn't — Watchog laid on the ground, unmoving, Shinx's super charged Spark attack proving to be too much for it.

"Wow," Callie said with wide eyes as she looked at the unconscious Watchog. "Shinx. . . . That was amazing!"

"W-watchog?" Lucas exclaimed, his eyes widening. When his pokémon didn't respond, Lucas frowned and returned his Watchog, glaring at Callie and Shinx.

"I _will_ get that Celebi," he sneered. "Team Plasma will be successful! We will rule this world! You won't be able to stand in our way too much longer, twerp!"

And with that, Lucas turned on his heel and took off, disappearing around the corner of the building. Callie wanted to go after him, but Shinx pawed at her foot, distracting her from any thoughts of a pursuit.

"Hm? What is it, Shinx?" Callie said, looking down at the small electric-type. Shinx nodded towards Celebi and Zoro, who were still lying on the ground. "Oh, you're right!"

Callie and Shinx quickly turned their attention to the two pokémon. Callie picked up both pokémon, holding one in each arm.

"Celebi, Zoro, are you two okay?" Callie said softly.

"I'm fine," Celebi said. "I'm sorry I couldn't run away or even fight back. . . . I'm afraid I'm still too weak."

"There's no need to apologize, Celebi," Callie said with a smile. "At least you're okay."

"Zor. . . . Zorua. . . ," Zoro stirred in Callie arms, and she looked to see that he had woken up.

"Oh, Zoro, you're awake! How are you feeling, buddy? Better?" Callie said. Zoro nodded, smiling weakly. "Good!"

She then got her bike upright and placed the two pokémon back in the basket. She was just about to say something to Shinx when her attention was drawn back to the three battles before her.

"Tepig, break through that Sand Tomb with Tackle!" Wes exclaimed.

Tepig, who was still trapped in the Sand Tomb, attempted yet another Tackle attack, but to no prevail — there was no breaking through it.

Wes clenched his fists, obviously frustrated — it wasn't looking good. "I need to get him out of there, fast! Something has to break through that Sand Tomb, anything. . . . I got it!" Wes looked towards Tepig through the Sand Tomb. "Buddy, I know we haven't perfected it, but we gotta try that move one more time — Tepig, use Flame Charge!"

Callie watched as Tepig took a deep breath and began stomping on the ground repeatedly with all of its feet, kicking up dust from the battlefield. Tepig's body then became surrounded with red-yellow fire, and he leapt forward with incredible speed and force, easily breaking through Krokorok's Sand Tomb and freeing itself.

"What?!" Lexi exclaimed.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Wes cheered, thrusting a fist into the air.

"Way to go Tepig!" Callie called out.

Tepig slammed his body into Krokorok with enough force to easily knock him over. However, the move wasn't very effective, and Krokorok stood up, smiling ever so slightly.

"It'll take more than a measly little Flame Charge to take out my Krokorok," Lexi said with a smile. "Let's show them some real power, Krokorok — use Bulldoze!"

Krokorok smiled knowingly and stomped down on the ground with tremendous force — Callie felt the ground beneath her feet tremble. She watched as a massive shock wave was created, and Krokorok directed the shock wave straight towards Tepig. Before Tepig could even react, the shock wave crashed into him, sending him flying backwards.

"No, Tepig!" Wes cried out.

Tepig slammed into the ground, skidding several feet.

"Tepig! Are you okay?" Wes said. "Can you still battle?"

Slowly, Tepig lifted his head, his entire body trembling.

"Wes," Callie said softly. "Please. . . . Don't let it keep battling."

"You're probably right," Wes muttered, lifting his pokéball. "Tepig, return — _wait_!"

Callie and Wes both froze as the watched something very strange happen — Tepig was suddenly enveloped by a bright blue light while slowly changing forms.

"What's happening?" said Callie.

"I don't believe it. . . . Tepig is evolving!" Wes exclaimed.

It was then that the blue light suddenly faded, and standing there in Tepig's place was a completely different pokémon. It was still a pig-like pokémon, but it stood on two feet. Its chubby body was orange with brown bands around its shoulders, sides, belly, hands, and from the back of its head down its snout. Yellow bands encircled its wrists, and swirled yellow designs bulged from its chest. It had a red pig-like nose, pointed ears, and two pointed teeth that protruded from its lower jaw. Its hands had two claws each, and its tail was curled with a tuft of fur at the tip.

"What is that?" Callie said, pulling her PokéDex from her pocket.

"Pignite, the Fire Pig Pokémon, and the evolved form of Tepig. Pignite moves faster when its internal flame becomes more intense. This also occurs when it gets angry."

"Pignite, huh? That's pretty cool," said Callie with a smile.

"Alright, you evolved!" Wes cheered, pulling out his PokéDex and looking at Pignite's new moves. Apparently, he liked what he saw, and he smiled.

"Perfect — Pignite, finish this with Arm Thrust!"

_"Nite!"_ Pignite grunted.

Pignite ran toward Krokorok with amazing speeds, his hands glowing white. Before Krokorok could even react, Pignite began repeatedly hitting Krokorok with alternating hands, over and over, until landing one final blow that sent Krokorok crashing into Lexi, knocking her over.

"Yes! Way to go!" Wes exclaimed, running over to Pignite. "You did it! You were awesome, Pignite!"

"Amazing!" Callie exclaimed.

As Wes's battle with Lexi came to an end, Roxie and Hugh also finished their battles, both of them coming out victorious. The trio of Team Plasma grunts quickly returned their pokémon, shaking their heads.

"I can't believe these kids stopped us," growled Anya.

"Lucas isn't going to be happy," said Elias.

"Of course he's not! We all lost, him included! Let's get back to Route 20, quick — he's waiting for us there," said Lexi.

The three of them rushed passed Callie, Wes, Roxie, and Hugh, taking off down the street.

"We can't let them get away!" said Hugh.

"But Callie and I have to go," said Wes. "Captain Roxie is waiting for us!"

"Don't worry, we can handle those guys — you two get going!" said Roxie. She then turned to Hugh and said, "Alright, Hugh, let's go get those Team Plasma punks!"

"You got it! Be safe, you two!" Hugh called out before he, Roxie, and their pokémon took off after Team Plasma, leaving Callie and Wes standing there.

"Well," Wes said with a heavy sigh, "that was something else. I never expected an ambush."

"Yeah, me either," said Callie. "How do you think they knew we were leaving?"

"Well, they knew you were protecting Celebi, right?" Wes said. "They figured we were going to have to try to leave the city at some point — they were probably watching the Pokémon Center to see what direction we were headed, and once they figured out we were going to the docks, decided they would try to head us off."

Callie nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. . . . Still. . . . That was too close for comfort. I mean, if it weren't for Shinx, Celebi and Zoro would have probably been taken."

"Shinx?" Wes said.

"Yeah, Shinx!" Callie said, smiling as she motioned to the pokémon that stood beside her bike. "He followed us from the Pokémon Center! I think he wants to keep looking after Celebi!"

"Shi. . . ," Shinx muttered, narrowing his eyes slightly at Callie.

"What?" Callie said, obviously confused by his sudden change in attitude.

Wes, however, just laughed softly, shaking his head. "You really don't get it, do you?" he said.

"Get what?" Callie said, growing more and more confused.

"Shinx didn't follow us to protect Celebi — he followed _you_, Callie. Shinx wants to go with you!"

_"Me?"_ Callie said, her eyes widened. "Shinx wants to come with me?" She looked down at the electric pokémon standing by her feet, who was smiling broadly up at her.

"Shinx, is that true?" Callie said. "Do you really want to come with me?"

"Shinx! Shinx! Shi-shinx!" Shinx exclaimed happily, jumping up towards her.

Callie laughed softly, catching Shinx in her arms. She pulled out an empty pokéball and clicked the middle button, allowing the capsule to grow, and held it up towards Shinx. Shinx looked from her to the pokéball and smiled brightly before pushing the button with his paw. The pokéball opened and enveloped Shinx in a red light, and Shinx disappeared inside the pokéball as it snapped shut. The pokéball shook several times in her hand before making a soft _'bing!'_ noise, and it became quite still. Callie smiled down at the pokéball before thrusting it into the air.

"Alright — I caught a Shinx!" Callie exclaimed brightly.

"Looks like you and I both added a new pokémon to our team," said Wes. "Your Shinx, and my Tepig evolved into a Pignite — I guess this night wasn't so bad after all."

Callie opened her mouth to say something, but then a loud horn sounded from the docks, and Wes and Callie's eyes widened.

"The boat!" Callie exclaimed, taking off on her bike.

"I forgot!" Wes shouted, following closely behind her.

The two of them peddled as fast as they could, arriving at the docks in a matter of minutes. There wasn't a soul there, just dozens of empty boats tied to the docks. However, at the very end of the dock, Callie could see a single figure standing on a large boat.

_"There!"_ Callie exclaimed, pointing towards the end of the dock. "I see Pop Roxie!"

"Pop Roxie?" Wes echoed.

Callie ignored him though and took off, peddling faster and harder as another loud, long horn sounded. Within moments the two trainers came to a screeching halt at the end of the dock, and Pop Roxie looked over at them from boat's cockpit.

"Well, well, well — there you two are!" he said, leaving the cockpit and coming over to the side of the ship to help them load their bikes. "I was beginning to wonder if you two were going to show or not!"

"Sorry," Callie said as she took Celebi and Zoro out of the basket of her bike so Wes and Pop Roxie could put it on the boat. "We ran into a bit of trouble."

"Trouble?" Pop Roxie repeated. "What kind of trouble?"

"Team Plasma trouble," Wes grunted as he finished loading Callie's bike on the boat and began to attempt to lift his bike into the boat.

"Team Plasma, huh?" said Pop Roxie as he helped lower Wes's bike onto the deck of the ship. "Aren't those the fellas you were trying to avoid while leaving?"

"Yes, sir," said Callie, carefully stepping into the boat with Celebi and Zoro in her arms. "But they managed to find us."

"They headed us off right as we were about to get to the docks," said Wes, climbing in after Callie. "Roxie and our friend Hugh were with us though, and they managed to help us battle them all and send them running. It was close though."

"Sounds like it," muttered Pop Roxie. "Well, you two can relax now — it's just the three of us on this boat. The ride to Castelia City won't be a short one though, so get comfortable. There are a few rooms below the deck, so each of you has a place of their own. Why don't we get sailing and then we'll go get you both settled in. . . ."

Within the next hour, the ship had set sail from the docks of Virbank City, and they were on their way to Castelia City. Pop Roxie had shown Callie and Wes to their rooms, and Callie had to admit, it was better than anything she could have imagined — a large plush bed, a dresser, even her own bathroom. It was definitely fancier than staying at the Pokémon Center, which was saying something. Callie got herself settled in and she climbed into bed, Celebi and Zoro already fast asleep on one side of the bed.

Callie laid down, gazing happily at her belt that had four pokéballs holstered on it — Oshawott, Riolu, Growlithe, and now, Shinx. Almost two weeks into her journey, and she had herself a solid team thus far. A team that was growing stronger and stronger by the day — between training with Hugh and Wes, and training on their own, to the several encounters they had with Team Plasma, Callie's pokémon were growing stronger by the day.

"Team Plasma," Callie muttered to herself, thinking back to the battle they had had just an hour before. "Lucas. . . . He said they wanted to take over the world. . . . And, in my time, they do. . . . How do I stop them from succeeding?"

"You'll need to find N."

Callie jumped, obviously startled by the voice, and looked over to see Celebi was staring at her.

"Celebi, y-you're awake," Callie said with wide eyes.

Celebi nodded softly and slowly sat up.

"You want to know how to stop them, correct?" Callie nodded and Celebi smiled. "Then it's simple — find N."

"Who's N?" said Callie.

"Remember when Anya said they were betrayed by the man they respected as their king and hero two years ago?"

"Er — sort of," Callie said, thinking back.

"Well, the person she was referring to is named N," said Celebi.

"Okay, well, how do I find him?" said Callie.

Celebi shook its head. "I don't know — N's whereabout are unknown to everyone. But there may be someone who may be able to help you."

"Where?" said Callie, her eyes widening.

"In Driftveil City," said Celebi. "There is a place where former members of Team Plasma reside. Go there, and they be able to help you."

"Driftveil City?" said Callie, pulling out her Town Map. She opened the device and the screen flickered on, revealing a map of the Unova Region. Callie scanned the image for Driftveil City, and when she found it, she let out a heavy sigh. "It's so far away — we won't get there for months. . . . Can't you just teleport me there?"

Celebi shook its head. "I'm afraid I can't. I'm still to weak from bringing you back in time. Besides, even if I could, I don't think that it'd be a good idea. Team Plasma was able to pick up on my location due to my powers. I'm afraid I can't take that risk again."

"Yeah, you're right," Callie muttered. She then sighed and closed her Town Map, tucking it inside her bag and laying back down on her bed. "Well then, I guess I don't have a choice — I'll just have to wait until we finally get there on our own."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more help," Celebi said, frowning.

Callie smiled softly and shook her head. "No, no, it's fine. . . . Look, let's just get some rest. We had a busy night."

Celebi smiled and nodded, laying down beside Zoro and quickly falling asleep.

However, for Callie, sleep didn't come so easily, and she found herself laying awake, thinking of one thing —

Who in the world was N?


	10. Into the Storm!

Chapter Ten

Callie awoke the next day, her eyelids feeling heavy and her movement sluggish. Her skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and she felt as if she was going to be sick. Not sure what was happening, Callie very quickly (and clumsily) scrambled out of bed and to the bathroom of her room before throwing up all the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She sat there for several minutes, hurling everything into the porcelain bowl until finally, there as nothing left for her body to eject. She then flushed the toilet and stood very slowly, making her way over to the skin where she splashed some cold water on her face just to feel something refreshing.

Apparently, all of this was quite the commotion too, because the next thing she knew, her bed room door swung open and Wes rushed in.

"Callie!" Wes said panicked. "Are you okay? I heard something like — oh my. You don't look so good."

Callie looked up at her reflection in the mirror and saw that Wes was definitely right — she looked terrible. Her face was glistening from a mixture of sweat and water, and the color of her skin was extremely pale, with a twinge of green to it.

"Well, I don't feel so great," Callie muttered, pushing herself away from the sink.

Wes helped her get back into bed and he frowned as he looked her over.

"I'm guessing this is motion sickness," Wes muttered. "Have you experienced this a lot?"

"Never," Callie said, shaking her head. "I've never been on a boat before."

"Hm. . . . Then this is probably most definitely motion sickness," said Wes, frowning. "Let me go talk to Pop Roxie and see if he has anything for it. Just lay here, I'll be right back."

"O-okay," Callie muttered.

Wes left and minutes later he returned, carrying two small pills and a glass of water. He held the two pills out to Callie and she took them and put them in her mouth before taking the glass of water and chugging half of it to wash it all down.

"That should hopefully help," said Wes.

Callie nodded softly. "So, how close are we to Castelia City?"

"Still quite a ways away," said Wes. "According to Pop Roxie, there were signs of a real bad storm, so he's having to take a detour to try to avoid it."

"Great — more time on this damn thing," Callie muttered.

"Well, you've already slept through most of today," Wes said with a laugh. "Maybe it won't be so bad."

"Slept through most of the day?" Callie repeated. "What time is it?"

"It's almost five o'clock in the evening," said Wes.

"And you didn't wake me up?" Callie snapped.

"Pop Roxie said you probably needed your rest and that it was best not to bother you," said Wes. "So I've been sitting in my room waiting for you to wake up, and that's when I heard you. . . . Well, you know."

"Get sick and empty my entire stomach into the toilet?" said Callie. "Yeah, what a way to wake up."

Wes chuckled lightly and looked her over. "Well, you're getting some color back in your face — how are you feeling?"

"Better, actually," Callie said. "Thanks for the medicine."

"Of course," Wes said with a smile. "So, how about we go to the upper deck and talk to Pop Roxie? Besides, it's almost time for the sun to set — it's probably gorgeous out there."

Callie smiled and nodded, slowly pulling herself out of bed — she was still slightly nauseous, but nothing compared to how she felt earlier. She glanced back to her bed and saw that Celebi was still asleep, but Zoro was wide awake. Callie gently picked up Celebi, who stirred in its sleep and opened its eyes, looking up at her and smiling.

"Oh. . . . Callie," Celebi said with a yawn.

Callie smiled. "Wes and I are heading up to the deck, and I figured you and Zoro would like to come."

"That sounds very nice," Celebi said.

"Zoro!" Zoro said in return, jumping onto Callie's shoulder.

"Why don't we bring all our pokémon?" Wes suggested. "We can let them out so they can enjoy the fresh air — it's been a bit rough on everyone the last few days, I'm sure they could use the vacation."

"Yeah, you're right," Callie said with a smile.

Callie took a few moments and got dressed before she, Wes, Celebi, and Zoro headed to the upper deck. Once they arrived, Callie couldn't believe the scene before her. Just as Wes had predicted, the sun was beginning to set, and it was quite the sight to see. The orange gold rays stretched far and wide across the water, giving their surroundings the color of fire hearths and tangerines. It was the battle cry of the gathering night, the only achievement of darkness was to show starlight all the more clearly.

"It's . . . beautiful," Callie said with wide eyes staring out across the sea.

Wes smiled softly as he looked at the water. "Yeah, I guess you're. . . ," he stopped in the middle of his sentence though as he turned towards Callie and paused, staring at her for a moment.

Callie noticed his hesitance and looked at Wes curiously. However, the moment she turned to meet his gaze, Wes hastily turned away, staring back at the water.

"I, er, I-I guess you're right," Wes said quickly — Callie couldn't tell, but there was the slightest bit of a blush on his cheeks, which was being concealed by the reflection of the fiery hue of the water onto Wes's face.

"Well, we should make sure everyone else gets to see this, right?" Callie said with a smile. She placed Celebi on a chair nearby and pulled all four of her pokéballs off her belt.

"Everyone, come on out!" Callie exclaimed. With four red flashes, her entire team appeared — Oshawott, Riolu, Growlithe, and the newly acquired Shinx.

Wes then released his pokémon — Pignite, Vulpix, and Rufflet. The three of them appeared, all smiling as they looked around at the boat.

"Well, everyone, look around — isn't it gorgeous?" Callie said with a smile.

Oshawott and Shinx ran to the side, peering eagerly across the water before them. Pignite and Vulpix didn't seem interested in the water, however, and they went to go explore the deck, while Rufflet flew up and rested on the railing of the boat, looking out across the water. Riolu and Growlithe, on the other hand, were glaring at each other, both growling lowly.

_"Groooowl. . . ."_

_"Rioo. . . ."_

"You two," Callie groaned as she shook her head, causing the pokémon to look at her. "Please, can you two put this stupid feud you two have aside for at least an hour? Can we just enjoy this?"

Riolu and Growlithe glared at one another for a long moment before begrudgingly nodding. Callie let out a heavy sigh.

"Thank you. . . . That wasn't so hard, was it?" Callie said.

Riolu walked over and stood beside Oshawott, looking out over the water. Growlithe, however, didn't seem as eager to go near the edge of the boat. Instead he lingered there with Callie, frowning slightly as he looked at the water around them.

"I don't think Growlithe likes the water," Wes said with a raised eye brow. "It's only natural — he is a fire-type after all."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Callie said, frowning. "But that's okay — you can stay with me, okay, Growlithe?"

"Growl!" Growlithe said happily, looking up at his trainer.

Wes smiled as he watched the two of them. "So, how'd you catch Growlithe anyway, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I found him at the Virbank Complex," said Callie, crouching down to pet Growlithe. "Apparently he was quite the trouble maker there — stealing lunches, messing up equipment, constantly bothering the men there — when I found him, three workers were battling him with their pokémon."

"A three-on-one battle?" said Wes. "That doesn't sound fair."

Callie nodded. "That's what I said. When I found him, Growlithe was in no shape to fight either, so Riolu and Oshawott tag teamed the battle, and they did really well, but they couldn't beat one of the guy's Elekid. Thankfully, Zoro came to the rescue and knocked it out and sent those guys running."

"You battled three men with only two pokémon?" said Wes curiously before laughing. "You're crazier than I thought."

"Looking back on it, that was a terrible idea, but it was worth it in the end," said Callie with a sheepish grin. "I knew Growlithe needed medical attention, but I couldn't carry him to the Pokémon Center — not fast enough at least. Luckily I had a Heal Ball on me; the shop keeper in Virbank City gave me one as a good luck present. So, I told Growlithe I could use the ball to catch him, but I'd let him stay at the complex, I wouldn't take him with me. Growlithe didn't seem to like it, but he agreed, and I used the Heal Ball to catch Growlithe. After that, I left Growlithe at the Virbank Complex with the Heal Ball and headed back to the Pokémon Center. But this guy decided to follow me," Callie said happily, recalling the memory of Growlithe running to the Pokémon Center.

Growlithe smiled happily and licked Callie's face, and she and Wes both laughed softly.

"That's quite the story," said Wes. "I bet Growlithe was really thankful for you."

Callie nodded. "I think so — actually, that battle I had with Roxie was the first time I had ever battled with Growlithe."

"You decided that a gym battle would be the best time to use Growlithe?" Wes said with a chuckle. "Well, I guess it didn't turn out so bad. . . . You guys are gonna be quite the team someday."

"I think so," Callie said with a smile, scratching Growlithe behind his ear and earning a pleased grunt from him.

"Ah, I see you're up, Callie! You must be feeling better!"

Callie and Wes both paused and looked up, smiling when they saw Pop Roxie standing there, smiling at them. The two trainers straightened up and nodded.

"I'm feeling a lot better, thank you," Callie said with a smile.

"Good, good!" Pop Roxie said with a smile. He then looked around at his ship, watching all the pokémon wander around and explore the deck, and he let out a chuckle. "My, my, my. . . . The ship hasn't been this lively in ages! I love seeing all the pokémon enjoying themselves!"

"Yes, well, we thought it was only fair they get to enjoy this weather too," said Wes with a smile.

"Hey, Pop Roxie. . . . If you're here chatting with us, then who's steering the ship?" said Callie curiously.

Pop Roxie laughed. "Oh! Well, my Politoed of course! We've been sailing together for ages! He always steers the ship whenever I decide to have a look around the ship. No finer sailing partner, let me tell you!"

Callie nodded. "So, how much longer until we reach Castelia City?"

"I would say two more days — we had to take a bit of a detour. A very large storm is lingering over the sea at the moment, and I'm afraid what it would look like if we were to get caught in. So we're taking the long way around the southern tip of Castelia City, and we'll come up on the east side of the city and dock there."

"Two days, huh?" said Callie frowning softly as she looked over to Celebi — she was worried about the legendary pokémon, but it appeared to be feeling fine as it and Zoro jumped down from the chair and walked over to the side of the ship to look out over the water.

"I'll take that over getting caught in a storm," said Wes with a laugh.

Pop Roxie smiled. "I agree! So, how about we all go get some dinner? I have plenty of food stored in the kitchen below the deck. I'll fix us up something in no time!"

"Will Politoed be okay to steer the ship by himself?" said Callie nervously — she had never been on a boat before, much less one being manned by a pokémon.

Pop Roxie laughed heartily. "Why, of course! There's no need to worry, Callie! Now, come, come!"

With that, they all piled down stairs into the kitchen, which was surprisingly big enough to accommodate all three people and all nine pokémon. Callie and Wes fixed dinner for all of their pokémon while Pop Roxie cooked, and soon enough they were all settled down at the table, Pop Roxie giving them each a bowl of some of the best smelling stew Callie had ever encountered in her life, meanwhile the pokémon all gathered around the bowls on the ground and ate.

"This smells amazing," Callie said, her mouth slightly watering.

"I've been cooking for quite some time," said Pop Roxie. "Every time we're on the ocean, I'm the one who does all the cooking, so I've gotten the hang of it over the years."

"Well, thank you," said Wes. "For dinner — for the ride — everything, really."

Callie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, none of this would have been possible without you agreeing to take us to Castelia City."

Pop Roxie blushed slightly from the praise and waved his hand nonchalantly. "Oh, it's nothing, really. Now, dig in!"

So everyone began to eat, but Callie found herself growing rather nauseous again as the boat rocked and swayed. Carefully she put the spoon down and leaned back some, putting her hands over her stomach.

"Callie, do you feel okay?" said Wes.

She nodded. "I'm alright, just not as hungry as I thought," she said with a shrug.

Wes nodded and continued eating, and Callie decided now was a good a time as any to get some answers about Team Plasma, and more specifically, the man named N that Celebi had mentioned the night before.

"Pop Roxie," she said softly as Wes and Pop Roxie ate. "Do you remember anything from the last time Team Plasma tried to take over Unova?"

Pop Roxie paused, thinking back on it for a moment before nodding, bringing a spoonful of stew to his mouth. "Yes, I suppose I remember a few things — at least what was shared on the news. Why?"

"Well, I was just curious if you ever heard of a man named N?"

"N? Why, yes, I have — I believed they referred to him as the leader of Team Plasma," said Pop Roxie.

"Do you know what happened to him?" said Callie slowly. "Like where he is now?"

Pop Roxie frowned, shaking his head. "No, I'm afraid not. There were some rumors floating around that he flew away on the back of the legendary dragon pokémon, Zekrom. He, along with some girl."

"Some girl?" Callie echoed. "Who?"

"No one is really sure," said Pop Roxie. "All those claims came from former Team Plasma members, so they aren't exactly reliable. They are rumors after all —"

"Did any of them give a name?" said Callie. The boat continued to sway back and forth, and very distantly, Callie could have sworn she heard thunder, but no one else seemed to notice.

"I mean, yes, but as I said, these are rumors started by former members of Team Plasma after all —"

"I don't care — what was the name?"

Pop Roxie frowned. "Well, the name they gave was White."

"White?" said Callie, her eyes widening. She looked across the table to Wes, who was staring at her, his spoon hanging from his mouth.

Wes swallowed the stew in his mouth. "White? Do you think it could be —"

"Cheren and Bianca's friend?" Callie said. Wes nodded and she shook her head. "I don't know — Cheren said that she and Black disappeared after the battle, but he never said what happened to either of them."

"But to go two years without contacting anyone?" said Wes, shaking his head in disbelief. "That just doesn't seem possible."

"I know, but. . . . If we can find her, we can figure out a way to stop Team Plasma. . . . And we could find out what happened to Black," Callie countered.

Pop Roxie, who had been looking back and forth between the two trainers, obviously confused, interjected. "I-I'm sorry, but did you say stop Team Plasma?"

Callie nodded and Pop Roxie frowned. "There's no way you can do that! You two are just children!"

"We're not children," Callie said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Pop Roxie waved his hand dismissively. "Fine, you may not be children, per say, but still, you're too young to be trying to take on an entire organization by yourselves!"

"Well, we aren't by ourselves, now are we?" said Wes. "I mean, we have our pokémon with us, and we're bound to catch more. And . . . and we have each other." Wes smiled across the table to Callie, who returned the gesture.

"That's right," said Callie with a determined smile. "With our pokémon, I think the two of us will be just fine."

Pop Roxie shook his head in disbelief. "You two are going to get yourself into trouble if you aren't careful."

"Considering we've already had four run-ins with Team Plasma, I think trouble is a bit of a given," said Wes.

Callie chuckled lightly and opened her mouth to say something, but it was then that the boat lurched violently, sending all three of them flying from their chairs at the table, their bowls hitting the ground and shattering. Outside thunder roared, shaking the inside of the kitchen, and they could hear the wind howling outside, clear as day.

"What's happening?" Callie groaned, checking on her pokémon to make sure they were okay.

"A storm," muttered Pop Roxie. "And a bad one at that."

Suddenly, the kitchen door swung open and a green, frog-like pokémon came running in.

"Poli! Poli! Politoed!" it exclaimed, running to Pop Roxie and grabbing his arm, hoisting him to his feet.

"What is it, Politoed?" Pop Roxie said, rolling his shoulder.

"Poli! Politoed! Poli! Poli! Toed!" Politoed exclaimed, waving his hands over his head.

"This isn't good. . . . Okay, let's go," Pop Roxie said, his face growing very serious. He then turned back to look at Callie and Wes, who were still laying on the floor.

"You two — put all your pokémon back in their pokéballs, now! Stay below the deck!"

Pop Roxie and Politoed headed for the door, but Callie stopped him.

"Pop Roxie, what's happening?" Callie said, her eyes widening.

Pop Roxie paused and looked back at her — Callie could have sworn she saw panic in his eyes. "We're sailing straight towards a hurricane."

_"Hurricane?!"_ Callie and Wes both exclaimed.

However, Pop Roxie said nothing and he and Politoed left the kitchen, closing the door behind them. Lightning struck outside, and the boat lurched again, sending Callie, Wes, and all their pokémon toppling to one side of the kitchen.

"We've . . . gotta return our pokémon," Wes grunted. Callie nodded and reached for the pokéballs on her belt. One by one, she returned her pokémon — Oshawott, Riolu, Growlithe, and Shinx. Wes also returned his three pokémon, and soon it was just Celebi and Zoro that were sitting with them.

"We should stay put in here," said Wes. "It's too dangerous to try to go out there."

"But what about Pop Roxie?" said Callie. "I'm worried about him."

"Don't be," said Wes, trying to offer her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure he's done this before."

"But, Wes, didn't you see his face before he went out there?" said Callie. "He's scared."

"We're sailing into a hurricane, Callie," Wes snapped. "Why wouldn't he be scared?"

Callie frowned, clenching her fists. Then, without any warning, she stood up and opened the door, looking back at Wes. "You stay here with Celebi and Zoro — keep them safe!"

"Where are you going?" Wes exclaimed.

"I have to go help Pop Roxie!" Callie said, running down the hallway.

Wes reached for her, trying to grab her before she could disappear, but Callie was too quick and she managed to escape his grasp. Then, Zoro looked between Celebi and the open door, then back to Celebi, obviously contemplating his options.

"It's okay," said Celebi. "I'll be okay here."

Zoro nodded and took off, darting down the hallway after Callie.

"Zoro, no!" Wes called out, trying to stop the pokémon. However, it proved to be useless, and Zoro disappeared up the stairs.

"Damn it!" Wes growled in frustration. He then looked to Celebi and picked it up, cradling it gently in his arms.

"Where are we going?" said Celebi curiously.

"I can't let Callie go out there by herself," Wes muttered. "She'll get herself killed."

And with that, he took off after Callie and Zoro.

On the deck, Callie stood there, frozen in fear. There had been no warning, total darkness simply prevailed as clouds thickened and the sky was stricken, blotting out the once orange, fiery sky. The wind arose to push the still waters to choppy, which morphed into mountains of angry waves. Never had she wished so much for land, to feel the sweet paved streets of home. For on this sea she felt the rage within as if the ocean was countless tears ready to pound at the feet of man. It was a gale that screamed under dark and serious clouds. Yet the boat sailed over the water fists, the sea rising as great mountains, anger in the form of water, turbulent and unforgiving.

"I have to get to Pop Roxie," Callie said to herself, though the words were lost to the screaming wind. "I have to make sure he's okay."

Grasping the railing of the boat, Callie slowly walked, fighting against the wind, which blew erratically against her skin like it would when driving too fast on the highway with the windows rolled down. The rain was like bullets, each one stinging her as it splattered against her arms, legs, and face, and the noise, oh Arceus, the noise; it screamed more than howled. But Callie forced herself forward — she wanted to make sure Pop Roxie was okay.

She forced her eyes open, which she had been keeping shut to protect against the rain that still managed to get past her glasses, and looked for the captains cockpit. Through the rain and water-covered lenses she wore, she caught a glimpse of it, and she could make out the figures of Pop Roxie and Politoed, thanks to the light in the cockpit.

"Perfect," Callie muttered. "Not too much further. . . ."

Then, the boat suddenly lurched again, almost throwing Callie over the side of the boat, but she held onto the railing for dear life and managed to stay planted. The boat quickly leveled itself out again, but Callie's heart was still racing.

"That was too close. . . ," Callie said, her eyes widening. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, and tightened her grip on the railing before setting off towards the cockpit once again.

_"Zooorooo!"_

Callie paused — she heard something that could have been the wind howling, but something told her that that wasn't the case. So, still holding on to the railing of the ship, Callie turned, but she saw nothing.

"I thought I heard Zoro," she said quietly to herself. "But I guess not. . . ."

She was just about to turn back around when she heard it again.

_"Zooorooo!"_

Callie knew she heard Zoro that time.

"Zoro?" Callie called out over the wind. "Zoro, where are you?"

_"Zoro!"_

Callie took a few steps in the direction from which she came, trying to keep her eyes peeled for Zoro.

"Where are you, Zoro!"

She took a few more steps before Zoro let out another cry.

"Zor! Zor! Zoro! _Zorua!_"

These cries sounded much closer — Callie knew Zoro had to be right by her feet. However, he wasn't in front of her. She quickly glanced around, and for a moment, she couldn't see him, but then she spotted a pair of large, blue eyes staring at her, and she froze — there, hanging on for dear life to the side of the boat, was Zoro. He must have almost slid off the boat when it almost threw her overboard.

"Zoro!" Callie exclaimed, immediately dropping to her knees. "What are you doing out here?"

"Zor!" Zoro grunted, his paws beginning to slip.

"I got you, Zoro!" Callie shouted, reaching forward and snagging the small pokémon by his paw and dragging him towards her.

She quickly took the pokémon in her arms, holding him close to her chest.

"You dummy," Callie muttered, tears in her eyes. "I could have lost you."

"Zor, zor," Zoro muttered, nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

Slowly, Callie stood, cradling Zoro in one arm and gently stroking his wet fur with her free hand.

"It's okay, I've got you now," Callie whispered. "I've got you."

_Crack!_

Lightning struck at the precise moment that a large wave came crashing into the side of the ship. Both Callie and Zoro let out a yelp, and as the wave smashed against the side of the ship, Callie felt herself falling backwards towards the side of the ship. She clung desperately to Zoro with one arm and used her other arm to flail around helpless for the railing. She felt her fingers graze the cold metal railing, and for a second, she thought she could grab hold of it. However, another mountainous wave slammed against the ship, knocking Callie off balance and sending her and Zorua overboard, crashing into the water.

The water was cold. Too cold. The waves crashed over her and Zoro, but she refused to let the pokémon go — she had to protect Zoro. She opened her eyes underwater and saw nothing but an eternity of black abyss in every direction she looked. Callie kicked her feet with all her might, her lungs screaming for air. She broke the surface, gasping for air as freezing rain poured down on her.

"Zoro!" Callie choked out. "Zoro, you've gotta transform into something — anything that can save us!"

However, Zoro didn't respond. Zoro didn't move. Callie looked down and saw Zoro had fallen unconscious — it must have been the panic of falling overboard that caused him to faint. Whatever it was though, it wasn't good for Callie; with only the use of one arm, it was very difficult to stay above the water.

"Help!" Callie cried out, but she knew it was useless — who would be able to hear her over the sound of the storm. "Wes! Pop Roxie! Anyone — help!"

Another wave crashed down over Callie, pushing her several feet under the surface. Once again, Callie had to fight to reach the surface. With super human effort, she breeched the surface again, gulping at the air, trying to fill her lungs.

"Help!" Callie shouted as loud as she could. "Please, anyone — help me, please!"

Then, with barely a splash, she was under again, this time sinking faster. Panic was setting in, her heart hammering again her ribs. No matter how hard she kicked, Callie couldn't seem to get any closer to the surface. This was it. Her and Zoro were going to sink to the bottom of the ocean, and there was no one there to try and save her.

Suddenly, Callie saw a red flash of light, and there, beside her in the water, was Oshawott. The small otter-pokémon took one look at his trainer before grabbing her free arm and swimming to the surface of the water, breaking the surface.

"O-oshawott!" Callie exclaimed, her eyes widening as she gasped for air. "I-I didn't know you could come out on your own."

"Osh," Oshawott grunted, still holding onto her arm, trying to keep her and Zoro above the water.

Callie could see the boat — they were quite a ways away from it now, but she was close enough that she could see Wes walking along the deck with Celebi —

Wait. What?

"Wes!" Callie shouted. "Wes, what are you doing? Get back down under the deck!"

Of course, her words were lost to the roar of the sea. Oshawott narrowed his eyes, obviously not pleased with this, and he took a deep breath, appearing to be concentrating very hard. Then, a blue aura surrounded Oshawott, and he launched a powerful Water Gun attack that was also surrounded by the same blue aura — he was using Focus Energy! Due to the extra kick of power from Oshawott's Focus Energy, Oshawott's Water Gun was able to cover the distance from where they were to the boat, and he hit Wes right in the head, startling the trainer. Wes froze and turned towards them, and Callie saw him narrow his eyes as he looked out at the violent sea.

"Wes!" Callie exclaimed, trying to project her voice as loudly as she could. "Please, Wes! Help us!"

Wes stared in their direction for a few more moments, unmoving.

"It's pointless," Callie muttered. "He can't see us — Oshawott, we have to start trying to make it to the boat, that'll be our best — _Wes, no_!"

Suddenly, Wes dove over the side of the boat, Celebi still in his arms. Without any direction, Oshawott began swimming in the direction of Wes and Celebi, already knowing what Callie was thinking. His trainer attempted to aid him the best she could, kicking her legs to help move them along. It was a lot of work to fight the waves, and Callie was amazed how well Oshawott was able to swim against the current. Callie spotted Wes, who was swimming towards them quickly, Celebi clinging to his shoulder.

"Wes!" Callie shouted. "What are you doing?"

"I saw you out here," Wes explained as they got closer. "I knew I had to help. What are you doing out here?"

"A wave knocked me and Zoro overboard!" Callie exclaimed. "Oshawott saved us!"

Finally, they were within arms length of each other. Wes reached out with one hand and grabbed onto Callie, pulling her, Zoro, and Oshawott close.

"I got you," Wes panted, obviously relieved. "I was so worried."

"I'm fine," Callie said. "But we've got to get back to the boat — Oshawott can't keep this up too much longer."

Wes nodded and they began their trek back towards the boat, which wasn't an easy feat. Celebi continued to cling to Wes, and Oshawott pulled Callie along, Zoro still in her arm. After much effort from everyone, they all made it to the boat, which was rocking very unsteadily from side to side in the water.

"How do we get back on the boat?" Callie shouted over the storm as they stared up at the side of the ship.

"I'm not sure," Wes muttered, looking doubtful.

They both looked around for some way to get back up, but there didn't appear to be a ladder hanging off the side of the boat — how were they going to get back on board?

"What are you all doing in there?" a voice shouted from above.

Wes and Callie looked up and saw Pop Roxie and Politoed standing at the side of the ship, staring down at them.

"Are you mad? You're going to get yourselves killed!" Pop Roxie shouted.

"Poli!" Politoed shouted in agreement.

"We know!" Wes shouted. "Help us back up before another big wave comes! We can't keep this up!"

Pop Roxie nodded and Politoed ran off before quickly returning with an orange flotation device. The water-type pokémon threw it over the side of the ship, he and Pop Roxie holding tightly onto the rope, and Wes urged Callie forward.

"You get in it," Wes said, pulling the orange ring over her. "Celebi will go with you — hurry now."

Callie nodded and once she, Zoro, Oshawott, and Celebi were all situated, Pop Roxie and Politoed hoisted them up, quickly getting them all out of the water. After Callie and the three pokémon were safely on board, Pop Roxie and Politoed then turned their attention Wes, throwing the flotation device back into the water and snagging him. They worked quickly and soon enough, Wes was sitting on the deck next to Callie, panting heavily.

"Th-thank you," Callie panted. "For saving us."

"Yes, but why in the world was it necessary?" Pop Roxie shouted over the sound of the storm.

"I fell overboard!" Callie said. "But Wes came to save me!"

"I told you both to stay below the deck!" Pop Roxie growled.

"Guys," Wes said, finally finding the energy for words. "Stop fighting. We need to move."

"Why?" Pop Roxie said.

Callie looked towards Wes and watched as he stared off towards the side of the ship, his face alarmingly pale. Wes couldn't find any words, he could only point very shakily to whatever had him so startled. Callie and Pop Roxie both looked in the direction he motioned, and the both froze. There, towering over them and heading straight towards the boat, was the biggest wave Callie had ever seen — bigger than she could have ever imagined. It was easily over fifty feet, and as it swelled higher and higher, threatening to topple over at any second, Pop Roxie's small boat climbing up the side of the wave.

"That's not any normal storm wave," Pop Roxie growled, a solemn look on his face. "That's a rogue wave!"

"A rogue wave?" echoed Callie. "What's that?"

"It doesn't matter!" Wes shouted. "It's about to kill us!"

As much as Callie hated to admit it, there really didn't seem to be another outcome. The boat they were in was far too small to conquer a wave of that stature.

"Politoed," Pop Roxie muttered, gazing up at the rogue wave that had grown another ten feet in height. "I think this is it, old friend."

"Poli. . . ," Politoed said solemnly, putting his hand on Pop Roxie's leg.

"Well, this is better than dying to Team Plasma," Wes said with a dry smile. "Not by much, but slightly."

Zoro, who had come back to his senses, grabbed onto Callie. "Zor-zor!"

"Osha!" Oshawott cried, clinging tightly to Callie.

"It's okay," Callie whispered, patting his head. She then looked to Celebi, who was sitting in Callie's arms, looking very worried. "Celebi, I know you haven't fully recovered, but please — you've got to save us."

"But, Callie," Celebi said quietly. "Team Plasma will find me again."

"And I'll keep you safe! So will Wes!" said Callie. "We've done it so far! Please, Celebi — we need your help!"

"Here it comes!" Pop Roxie shouted. "Brace yourselves!"

Wes grabbed Callie's hand, and Zoro and Oshawott clung desperately to her leg. Callie looked up at the wave and saw it was falling down on itself, tumbling straight towards them.

"Celebi!" Callie cried out, shutting her eyes. She took Celebi, Zoro, and Oshawott in her free arm. "Please! Save us!"

Then it happened.

A beautiful, yet startling cry erupted from seemingly no where. Callie opened her eyes and saw that the noise was coming from Celebi. Waves of blue and white began pulsating from Celebi, engulfing the ship, the waves, everything — it was exactly like when Celebi brought Callie here.

"What's going on?" Wes shouted over the cries of Celebi and the sounds of the storm.

"Celebi is trying to save us!" Callie exclaimed.

Then it happened, all at once — all of Callie's senses were cut off. She couldn't feel her pokémon in her arms, or Wes's hand clasped tightly to hers. The sound of the storm ceased so suddenly, it was startling. Then, just as quickly as it happened, all of Callie's senses hit at once. She felt her pokémon and Wes clinging desperately to her, and the boat rocking very gently. There was no more rain, no more thunder, howling wind or lightning — it was over. She could hear the sound of waves lapping up against the side of the ship, and pokémon chirping happily nearby. Opening her eyes, she saw it was very dark outside, obviously very late at night. She could see a bright light in the distance though, and she realized it was a lighthouse.

"We're alive," Wes muttered, letting go of Callie as he looked around.

"But. . . . Where are we?" said Callie.

"Liberty Garden," said Pop Roxie suddenly as he and Politoed looked around. He then turned to Callie and Celebi. "Celebi. . . . Thank you."

"You're . . . very welcome," Celebi panted weakly in Callie's arms.

Callie looked down at Celebi and saw it had paled in color, but still looked much better than when they had first arrived in Aspertia City weeks ago.

"How are you feeling, Celebi?" Callie said softly.

"Tired. . . . Very tired," Celebi said. "I just . . . need some . . . rest."

Callie nodded. "Right — let's get you in bed."

Oshawott and Zoro got off of Callie as she stood, still holding Celebi. Wes also stood.

"We just have to worry about Team Plasma now," Callie muttered quietly.

"Don't worry about that — I'm gonna clean up, and then I'll stay up and watch for Team Plasma," Wes said with a smile.

"I'll keep watch as well," said Pop Roxie. "I suspect we took some damage from the storm — I'll see what Politoed and I can find, but I won't be able to do anything until morning."

"How far are we from Castelia City?" said Wes.

"Well, once we get the boat fixed up, we should be able to make it to Castelia City in a few hours from here — Liberty Garden isn't too far from Castelia City, and now that we're away from the storm, it should be smooth sailing from here on out," said Pop Roxie. "But let's not worry about that too much. We'll focus on that tomorrow."

Callie nodded and she, Wes, and the rest of her pokémon headed below the deck. Callie and Celebi went to her room, Oshawott and Zoro following behind her. She laid Celebi on the bed, and Zoro hopped up beside his friend, looking at Celebi with big eyes, obviously concerned.

"What a day. . . ," Callie sighed, leaning against the wall, her clothes still damp.

"Osh, osha!" Oshawott said with a smile, staring up at her. She smiled softly and picked him up in her arms.

"I owe you a big thank you, Oshawott," Callie said. "You saved my life out there."

"Osha-oshawott!" Oshawott said proudly, blushing ever so slightly.

"You'd better get out of those wet clothes; you're gonna get sick."

Callie and Oshawott both looked up and saw Wes standing in the doorway, smiling lightly, still wearing his wet clothes.

"Says you," Callie said with a laugh. "You still haven't changed."

"I just wanted to check in on you," said Wes. "Y'know, make sure you're feeling okay. You really had me worried."

Callie smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm just fine — I was actually just thanking Oshawott."

"Osha!" Oshawott said proudly.

Wes chuckled softly and nodded. "Well, I'm glad Oshawott was there. But you should probably clean up and be getting to bed soon — I think we should explore Liberty Garden tomorrow!"

"That actually sounds like fun, doesn't it, Oshawott?" said Callie with a smile.

"Osha!"

"That would . . . be nice," said Celebi weakly from the bed. "I hope I feel better."

"Don't worry, Celebi, I'm sure you'll feel better after some rest," said Callie. "Thank you again. I know you risked a lot to save us."

Celebi smiled weakly and nodded, saying nothing. It settled back down into bed, Zoro laying with it. Callie looked to Wes, smiling.

"Well, I guess it's decided — we'll all tour Liberty Garden tomorrow," said Callie. "I guess I'd best take a shower — you should do the same if you're gonna try to stay up all night."

"I told you I would keep watch," said Wes. "I'll see you in the morning. Good night."

"Good night, Wes," Callie called after his as he left, closing the door behind him.

So, after a long shower, Callie and Oshawott settled into bed with Celebi and Zoro, getting under the warm covered.

"Well, you guys, I think it's safe to say that, once we get to Castelia City, I'm never getting on a boat again," Callie muttered.

Oshawott giggled, and Zoro sniggered softly. Celebi, however, was fast asleep, worn out from using so much of its power today. Callie stroked the top of Oshawott's head, smiling softly.

"At least we're all okay, right?" said Callie happily. "And tomorrow we're going to explore Liberty Garden. I wonder if there's anything about Liberty Garden in the town map. . . ."

Callie pulled out her town map from her bag and opened it, the screen flickering to life. She zoomed in on their location, which was marked by a red blinking dot. Callie tapped on the highlighted island labeled Liberty Garden, and a small text box appeared which Callie read aloud.

"Liberty Garden is an island symbol of hope for a world where human and Pokémon live free," Callie said. The text continued. "It is rumored that the legendary pokémon Victini resides on the island, bringing victory to any trainer it befriends."

Callie paused, shaking her head. "Victini. . . . Wouldn't it be cool to meet it, Oshawott?"

However, when she looked to Oshawott, she saw that he was asleep, no doubt exhausted from his heroic actions from earlier. She then decided to turn to Zoro and see what his thoughts were, but when she looked to Zoro, she found that he was also asleep. So, smiling to herself, Callie closed her town map, tucked it back into her bag, and settled down under the sheets.

It had been a long day, and, unknown to Callie, she had an even longer day ahead of her.


	11. Liberty at Liberty Garden!

Chapter Eleven

The next day, after getting dressed and eating breakfast, Callie met Wes on the upper deck of the ship, all her pokémon in their pokéballs, Zoro on her shoulder, and Celebi in her arms. Celebi was feeling much better after a good night's rest, but it was still very weak — much weaker than when they left Virbank City. However, it had insisted on going with Callie and Wes on their tour of Liberty Garden.

The sun was making steady progress on its climb into the sky, and the water around them was the most brilliant shade of blue Callie had ever seen in her life. The boat was parked right against a dock, seemingly the only dock on that side of the small island.

"How's everyone feeling today?" said Wes with a smile as Callie, Zoro, and Celebi climbed up their stairs to the deck.

"Celebi's feeling much better today," said Callie happily. "It insisted on coming with us."

"Outside?" Wes said, obviously worried. "I know we can't leave it unattended, but still —"

"No worries," said Celebi softly. "I'm going to be staying in Callie's bag — I know I'll draw a lot of attention. I just wanted to enjoy the scenery for a moment."

Wes nodded, smiling weakly. "Sorry, Celebi, I don't mean to be a killjoy."

Celebi giggled and said nothing before Callie tucked it safely into her bag, leaving the zipper halfway open to Celebi could still see plenty. Callie then looked to Wes and smiled.

"Alright, let's go!"

The two of them headed to the side of the boat that was right up against the dock. Wes helped Callie out of the boat before he climbed over the side, and as soon as they were standing on the dock, Pop Roxie and his Politoed appeared on the deck of the boat.

"Ah! There you two are!" said Pop Roxie. "You two headed into town?"

"Yeah, we're gonna go tour the island," said Wes.

"Sounds like fun!" Pop Roxie said with a smile. "Politoed and I have looked over the boat — just as I thought, there are some minor damages, but nothing too severe. We should be ready to set sail by sunset."

"Poli!" Politoed said happily.

"Well, we'll be sure to be back before then," said Callie. "Would you like us to bring anything back?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Pop Roxie said with a laugh.

"We'll see about that," Wes said with a smile. "We'll be back, Pop Roxie!"

"Stay out of trouble you two!" Pop Roxie called after them as they walked down the dock towards the island.

Zoro jumped off of Callie shoulder and ran ahead of them, obviously excited to be exploring someplace new.

"So, no problems last night?" Callie said curiously as she gave Wes a side glance.

Wes shook his head. "Nope — no sign of Team Plasma."

"Good, maybe they aren't coming after all," said Callie with a shrug. "Maybe they didn't pick up on Celebi's energy."

"Or they're on their way and they just haven't gotten here yet," said Wes. "I don't think we should get too comfortable."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Callie muttered, frowning softly. "But, I think we should try to enjoy Liberty Garden! You're the one who suggested we tour it anyway."

"I know, I know," Wes said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You're right. . . . We need to enjoy ourselves."

"See?" Callie said with a smile. "I read last night that the legendary pokémon Victini is supposed to live here on the island."

"Victini?" Wes said. "Huh, interesting. . . ."

"Do you know anything about it?" said Callie.

"A bit," he said with a shrug. "There are lots of stories about it. It's said that trainers with Victini always win, regardless of the type of encounter. They also said that Victini creates an unlimited supply of energy inside its body, which it shares with those that touch it. People who believe these legends have actually waged war to get their hands on Victini!"

"Wow, all for a pokémon?" said Callie, shaking her head. "People are crazy when it comes to power."

"Yeah, they sure can be," said Wes with a nod.

"Zor!"

Callie and Wes looked towards Zoro, who was standing in front of them, smiling. He was standing in front of the plaza to the lighthouse, which towered into the sky, a small building beside it. There were tourists all over the plaza, taking pictures and smiling, having a good time overall. There were a few vendors there with carts set up, selling different merchandise and memorabilia .

"Look at these keychains!" Callie said excitedly, running towards one of the vendors — it was a small Eevee on a keychain. Zoro jumped up on her shoulder. "Oh, this is Eevee, right? Wes, it's so cute!"

Wes came up beside her, looking over her shoulder at the keychain and smiled softly. "Hmph, I guess you're right, it is kind of cute."

The vendor of the cart was chatting to some other tourists, trying to sell them a set of t-shirts.

"Sir," said Callie, drawing the attention of the vendor to her and Wes, "how much for the keychain?"

The man turned towards Callie and Wes, obviously annoyed that his business pitch had been interrupted, but the moment he set eyes on them, he froze.

"It's. . . . It's you," he whispered, his eyes growing wide. "I can't believe it. . . . You're back!"

"I'm sorry?" Callie said curiously.

"I don't think we've met," Wes said, frowning softly.

The man shook his head. "No, I remember — you saved us! Both of you!"

"Well, it couldn't have been us," said Wes. "I'm really, sorry, but you're mistaking us for someone else."

"No, I'm not," said the man, shaking his head. He then dug around at the register he had sitting in front of him, shifting receipts and other various papers before pulling out a photograph. "Ah ha!"

He held the photo out in front of him, inspecting it closely. After a few moments though, the man's face fell slightly, and a blush spread across his face.

"O-oh, it seems as though I am mistaken," the man muttered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm sorry to both you two. . . . It's just, you see, our island was attack two years ago by some terrible people trying to take Victini. These people came and took our whole island hostage, using their pokémon to put all of us villagers to sleep. Not much is remembered about what happened while they were here, but when we all woke up, we found out we had been saved by two trainers, and you both look an awful lot like them. We haven't seen then since the day they disappeared, and they never let us properly thank them. . . . I managed to get this picture of them, and then they disappeared."

"That amazing," Callie said with wide eyes.

"Who attacked the island?" said Wes curiously.

"Hm? Oh, some group by the name of. . . . Oh, what was it? Hm. . . . Oh, that's right! It was Team Plasma!" said the man, shaking his head. "Yes, they came here, demanded we tell them where Victini was, and when we wouldn't, well, they used their Gothitelle to put us to sleep."

"Team Plasma, huh?" Wes muttered, frowning.

"Mhmm, some real nasty folks, too, let me tell you," said the man.

"May I see that picture?" said Callie curiously — what could these people have looked like for this man to be so sure that Wes and Callie were them?

The man nodded and handed Callie the picture, and Callie had to do a double take as she looked over the photograph. In the picture was a boy and a girl, and Callie had to admit, the similarities were quite startling. The boy did look an awful lot like Wes, with the shaggy brown hair and brown eyes, though he wore a baseball cap to conceal most of his hair. And the girl had long, curly brown hair, but she kept hers up in a ponytail, and she had bright blue eyes, just like Callie, but she didn't wear any glasses. There were some other differences between the two, but overall, the similarities were uncanny. Callie showed the picture to Wes, and Wes's eyes widened.

"W-wow," Wes said, staring down at the photograph. "I guess you're right, we do look pretty similar."

"See?" said the man, frowning. "Sorry to bother you kids."

"No, no, it's okay," said Callie, looking back to the vendor. "By chance, do you happen to remember their names?"

"Their names? Oh, absolutely, I could never forget those two and everything they did for us here!" said the man with a smile. "Those two right there are Black and White!"

Callie wasn't at all surprised — two people who had defeated Team Plasma here on Liberty Garden? No surprise. But to see what they looked like. . . . They did look an awful lot like them. It was almost scary.

"Do you mind if I keep this?" said Callie curiously, looking at the vendor.

The man smiled and shook his head. "Not at all, not at all — go ahead! I have an extra copy somewhere!"

"Thank you," Callie said with a smile, tucking the picture into her pocket.

She put the Eevee keychain back and she and Wes exchanged a brief goodbye with the vendor before walking off, talking quietly to one another.

"Okay," Callie said slowly, "do we want to talk about what just happened?"

"It's coincidence," Wes said with a shrug.

_"Coincidence?"_ Callie nearly shouted. "Wes, come on. Black mysteriously disappears, just like you're destined too, and White flies away with some boy named N? And apparently, somewhere along the way, they happened to just stop here? It's like we're following in their footsteps or something, and I don't like the sound of that."

"Callie, just clam down," Wes said, shaking his head. "I'm sure there's some sort of explanation for all of this."

"It's too uncanny to be a coincidence," Callie snapped. "I need answers!"

"Well, I think the one who could give us the most answers is sitting in your bag," Wes said pointedly.

Callie paused, remembering Celebi was in her bag. Of course. . . . Celebi would have the answer! She looked around, looking for some place that could be private enough for them to speak to Celebi without fear of another tourist catching sight of them. Callie took off towards the small building to the right of the lighthouse and, making sure no one was looking, she opened the door and slipped inside unnoticed. Once she was inside the small room, she found she was completely alone — it was dark and musty, with a thick layer of dust covering everything. There weren't many items inside the room; an old dust covered chair, a bookcase in the corner of the room, a rug laying in the middle of the floor, just has dirt covered as everything else in the room. There was clutter on the floor, along with a few toys that laid scattered on the floor, but they, surprisingly enough, weren't covered in dust. They definitely looked as if they had been used recently.

Callie, however, didn't want to pay too much attention to that. Zoro jumped to the floor and Callie pulled her bag off her shoulders and was just about to open it when the door to the room suddenly opened. Callie froze and turned, relieved when she saw it was Wes slipping in after her. He shut the door behind him and sighed heavily.

"You really need to give me a heads up if you're just going to run like that," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Sorry," Callie muttered, "but I need answers."

Wes nodded and Callie opened up her bag, revealing a sleeping Celebi inside. When Callie opened the bag fully, Celebi stirred and woke up, staring up at Callie and Wes with curiosity.

"Callie? Wes?" said Celebi softly. "What's going on?"

"Who is this, Celebi?" Callie said, holding the picture of Black and White out towards Celebi. The legendary pokémon looked over the photo, frowning.

"I . . . I don't know," Celebi said, obviously confused.

"That's Black and White," Callie said shortly, scowling down at Celebi.

"They look an awful lot like you two," Celebi muttered, taking the photograph from Callie.

Callie's face softened some — it was obvious Celebi was just as confused as she and Wes were about the entire thing. She sighed some and Celebi held the picture back out to Callie, and Callie took the photograph, tucking it into her bag.

"Celebi. . . . What do you know about Black and White?" said Callie softly.

Celebi stared blankly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that it seems like Wes and I are following in Black and White's footsteps," said Callie. "I mean, Black and White apparently fought Team Plasma here at Liberty Garden two years ago, and Black disappears in his final battle with Team Plasma, just like Wes is supposed to disappear. Black and White are the ones who defeated Team Plasma last time, and now you've sent me back in time so Wes and I can team up and stop them. . . . So, tell me everything you know about Black and White."

"Unfortunately, I don't know much about what happened two years ago," said Celebi, shaking its head. "I wasn't there to witness the events that took place two years ago. I just know that, if you can find N, he'll be able to answer your questions, but —"

"But no one knows where he is," Callie said, finishing its sentence.

"Wait, you want to find N?" said Wes. "The guy who tried to liberate all the pokémon through Team Plasma just two years ago? You want to find him? Why?"

"Because he can help us," said Callie. "He can tell us what happened to Black, and where White is, and he can tell us how to stop Team Plasma."

"Are you insane?" Wes said. "That guy is part of the reason why Team Plasma is a problem now — he helped create them two years ago! And now you want to go to him for help?"

"He can help —"

"He can't help us!" Wes said. "There's no reason to try to find him! He probably doesn't want to stop Team Plasma anyway!"

"I want to try. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Why do you want this so bad, Callie? Why are you so insistent on this?"

"Because we have to do whatever we can to stop them!" Callie shouted, tears brimming her eyes. "Don't you see how lucky you are, Wes? You grew up in a world where pokémon and humans can live side-by-side! You're getting the chance to go on this amazing journey! In my time, if you see a pokémon and don't report it and Team Plasma finds out, you can be put in jail. I had to keep Zoro a secret for years. Right before Celebi took me back in time, I was being chased down by Team Plasma officers who wanted to bring me to Lord Ghetsis and let him decide my punishment. I would have never gotten the chance to go on this adventure with you if it weren't for Celebi, and now that I've started traveling with you, and my pokémon. . . . I don't ever want to go back to that time, Wes. I can't go back."

"Callie," Wes said softly. "I had no idea. . . . I didn't know that how you felt. . . ."

"I've only had my pokémon for a short while, and they already mean the world to me. Oshawott, Riolu, Growlithe, Shinx. . . . I wouldn't give them up for anything. Traveling with them, and training with them, watching them get stronger with each passing day. . . . I can't imagine going back to my time now. The thrill from pokémon battles, the feeling of coming out on top, all thanks to the amazing team work between trainer and pokémon. . . . A few weeks ago, I could never begin to understand that feeling, that rush, but now — well, now I love it," Callie said, shaking her head. "I know you think that trying to find N may be pointless, but I'm going to do whatever I possibly can to stop Team Plasma, because I never want to go back to a time where pokémon and humans can't be together. I'm never going to be without my pokémon, and if that means spending months tracking down N and it all turns out to be a massive waste of time, then so be it. I'll do whatever it takes."

Wes smiled softly, nodding his head. "You're right, Callie, I. . . . I'm sorry. And if you want to find N and see what he says, then so be it — we'll do it." He reached forward and took Callie's hand in his. "I promise you, right here and now, this time is going to be different. We're going to beat Team Plasma, and you'll be able to return to your time with your pokémon and live out the rest of your life with however many pokémon you'd like."

Callie smiled, giggling softly. "Thank you, Wes. I. . . . I appreciate it."

Celebi smiled softly. "I'm so glad to see you two working together like this."

Wes and Callie smiled at each other, laughing softly, and nodded.

"I think we make a pretty okay team," said Wes.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Callie said with a smile.

"Zor, zor — Zoro!"

Callie and Wes both paused, interested in Zoro's sudden outburst. They turned around and saw Zoro standing near the small collection of toys on the ground. Zoro was smiling brightly, his tail wagging, staring in the direction of the wall, chatting happily to . . . nothing?

"Zoro," Callie said with a laugh. "There's nothing there."

Zoro looked over at his shoulder to Callie and nodded. "Zor! Zorua!"

She frowned slightly — was she missing something? She took a harder look, thinking maybe she had somehow overlooked whatever pokémon Zoro thought he was talking to, but there was nothing there.

"Wes," Callie said curiously. "Do you see . . . well, _anything_?"

"Nope," Wes said, staring at Zoro with a raised eyebrow. "Nothing."

"Okay, so I'm not crazy," Callie said, nodding her head.

They both continued to watch Zoro for another moment when something very strange happened — one of the toys on the floor, a shiny red ball, suddenly floated into the air and was thrown across the room. Zoro went chasing after it without any question, but Callie, however, screamed.

_"What was that?"_ she shouted "Wes, did you see that? That ball just _threw itself_!"

"Th-there's some explanation, I-I'm sure," Wes said quickly. "I-I mean, there has to be. M-maybe electromagnetic fields, o-or, um. . . ."

"Or _ghosts_!" Callie snapped.

Just as panic was really about to set in, Callie and Wes heard a small fit of high-pitched laughter come from seemingly nowhere.

"Do you hear that?" said Wes.

"Y-yes," said Callie. "I-it's probably the ghost."

"There's no such thing as ghosts," Wes said.

"That's not what you were thinking ten seconds ago," snapped Callie as the laughter came to a stop.

Wes rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore her comment. "I think it's a pokémon — it's coming from over there, where the toys are. . . ."

They watched as Zoro went running back towards the small pile of toys, the red ball in his mouth. He came to a stop and dropped the ball on the ground, nudging it forward with his nose. The ball rolled a few inches before suddenly stopping, once again levitating back into the air. Then, quite suddenly, the ball was no longer just floating in midair — it was sitting in the hand of a pokémon that had appeared as if from no where. It was a small, rabbit-like pokémon with large, pointed ears that formed the letter V. It stared at Callie with its large blue eyes, smiling brightly.

"What pokémon is that?" Callie said, her eyes wide.

"No way," Wes said, mouth agape. "That's Victini!"

"Seriously?" Callie said, pulling out her PokéDex and aiming it at Victini.

"Victini, the Victory Pokémon. This Pokémon brings victory. It is said that Trainers with Victini always win, regardless of the type of encounter. It creates an unlimited supply of energy inside its body, which it shares with those who touch it. When it shares the infinite energy it creates, that being's entire body will be overflowing with power."

"Wow," Callie said softly, putting her PokéDex away. "Amazing."

"Tini!" Victini sang, flying towards Callie and Wes.

It flew around their heads a few times, giggling wildly, and even flew past Celebi, who smiled lightly upon seeing Victini.

"It's so cute," Callie laughed, watching Victini fly.

"Yeah, I guess so," Wes said with a small smile, watching as Zoro chased Victini around the room.

Victini suddenly stopped in front of Callie, a wide smile on its face, and held out the red ball to her.

"For me?" Callie said.

"Vic! Tini!" Victini said happily, nodding eagerly.

Callie smiled and took the ball gently. "Thank you, Victini."

"Tini!" it sang, flying away from her and around the room.

Callie looked down at the ball, smirking softly.

"Zor!" Zoro suddenly barked.

Callie looked up from the ball and gazed down at Zoro, who was staring at her expectantly.

"What, Zoro?" Callie said.

"Zor! Zor!" he exclaimed, motioning to the ball.

She looked from Zoro to the ball, her lips curling into a half smile. "You want me to throw it?"

"Zorua!" Zoro said happily, nodding his head.

"Alright, alright, go get it," Callie laughed, gently tossing the ball.

It bounced across the room and Zoro went bounding after it, tackling the ball excitedly. Callie, Wes, Victini, and even Celebi laughed softly as they watched as Zoro proudly brought the ball back to Callie, dropping it at her feet. Callie knelt down, smiling lightly, and patted Zoro's head.

"I forgot how much you love to play," Callie said with a smile as she stroked Zoro's fur.

"Tini!" Victini suddenly called out.

Callie and Wes both looked up, expecting to see Victini with yet another toy, but instead, Victini was staring at the door with wide eyes, a panicked look across its face.

"What's wrong, Victini?" Wes said.

Suddenly, a scream came from outside, and Callie dropped the ball, but Zoro didn't go bounding after it this time as it slowly rolled away from her feet. Instead he, Callie, and Wes turned in the direction of the door.

"Did you hear that?" said Callie.

"Maybe it was nothing?" said Wes.

But then another scream came, followed by another, and there were several shouts coming from outside the door. Callie watched as Victini suddenly disappeared somewhere in the room, but she didn't have time to figure out where it could have gone to.

"Grab your bag," Wes said sternly, reaching for one of the pokéballs on his belt.

Callie picked up her bag, tucking Celebi inside of it, closing it partially. "You don't think —"

"It's Team Plasma," Wes growled.

Suddenly, the wooden door to the building they were in was blown to smithereens. Splinters flew about the room, and sunlight filled every inch of the small space, illuminating every corner of the dusty building. Callie and Wes shielded their faces from the tiny bits of wood, and Zoro stood behind Callie, peering cautiously around her leg. Once the debris settled, Callie and Wes lowered their arms and looked towards the doorway, where the silhouette of three figures stood.

"Well, well, well," said a sing-song voice. "Look what we've found."

Callie's eyes adjusted as the three figures stepped forward — it was three Team Plasma grunts, none of which she recognized. The one on the left was tall and lanky with blonde hair, the one on the right was just as lanky and lengthy as the other, only with black hair, and the one in the middle was short and plump.

"Team Plasma!" Wes and Callie growled in unison.

"What are you doing here?" said Wes, keeping his hand firmly on the pokéball on his belt.

"I think you already know," said the grunt. "We tracked Celebi's power surge to this exactly location, and we're here to retrieve it! Now, hand it — wait a minute."

The grunt froze and stared incredulously at Wes and Callie, her eyes widening slightly, as if she had seen a ghost.

"It's _you_," the woman hissed. "But how? I. . . . I was there! I saw you fly away with Lord N," the woman said incredulously looking at Callie. Then she looked to Wes. "And you. . . . It's not possible! I-I saw it! I saw you. . . . And Reshiram!"

"Reshiram?" echoed Wes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You think we're Black and White, don't you?" Callie said, thinking back to the photograph.

"Well, aren't you?" said the woman.

"No," said Wes, shaking his head.

"That must mean you're the two pains that have been interfering with our plans lately. I've heard all about you two — you've really done a number on Lucas and Elias. They can't stand you. And it seems as though Anya and Lexi aren't your biggest fans either."

"Wait, you know Black and White?" said Callie. "What do you know about them?"

"Not much, just that they're two meddling brats that fought us here two years ago — they stopped us from capturing Victini. They foiled our plans and sent me back a failure! Well, today, we shall not fail. Today, I will redeem myself from our actions all those years ago. Whether you're Black and White or not, it doesn't matter — you're in our way now! I will take Celebi, and we'll find Victini while we're here! Gothitelle, come out!"

"Gothorita, come!" exclaimed the two grunts that stood on either side of her.

In moments, Callie and Wes were facing a Gothitelle and two Gothorita. Callie pulled out her PokéDex, aiming it towards the two Gothorita.

"Gothorita, the Manipulate Pokémon and the evolved form of Gothita. Gothorita uses starlight as its power source. It arranges rocks in the same way as the stars, and can use its Psychic powers to control people and Pokémon."

"Callie, stay back, let me handle them!" Wes shouted. "Rufflet, Pignite, let's go!"

"I can help, there's too many to take on alone!" Callie said. She pulled a pokéball from her belt. "Growlithe, come on out!"

Their pokémon appeared before them, all looking ready to battle.

"Gothitelle, let's make this quick — use your psychic energy to create a force field around the island!"

"Gothi. . . . _Telle!_"

Gothitelle let out a startling cry, its eyes glowing blue. It clapped its hands together, and Callie watch a blue ball of light fly from its hand and expand. The sphere grew and grew, filling the room, and seemingly vanishing through the walls.

"W-what was that?" Callie said with wide eyes.

"Oh, that?" said the grunt with a smile. "Well, that force field will prevent Victini and Celebi from escaping, all the while sucking energy from all the pokémon on this island and giving it straight to my Gothitelle!"

"That means we have to strike hard and fast!" Wes growled. "Pignite, use Flame Charge! Rufflet, Wing Attack!"

"Gothorita!" said the two grunts on either side. "Use Hypnosis!"

"Growlithe, quick, dodge it!" Callie exclaimed, and just in time too.

"Get out of the way!" Wes called to his pokémon.

Gothorita's eyes glowed blue, and a blue orb formed in either of their hands, and at the exact same time, they launched the four orbs at Callie and Wes's pokémon. Growlithe easily dodged out of the way, as did Pignite and Rufflet. Pignite went straight into his Flame Charge attack and Rufflet used his Wing Attack, and they each hit a Gothorita.

"So, you've got some quick pokémon I see," the middle grunt muttered.

"Growlithe, use Bite, go!" Callie directed.

Growlithe ran forward and used Bite on Gothitelle, earning a loud cry from the pokémon. Its trainer didn't seem worried, however — in fact, she looked pleased.

"Gothitelle, use Psyshock!"

Gothitelle summoned an odd, pink ball of psychic energy and shot it at directly at Growlithe, hitting him right in the face and sending him flying.

"Growlithe!" Callie exclaimed, rushing forward. "I've got you!"

She dove and caught Growlithe just in time, grunting under his weight.

"Are you . . . okay, Growlithe?" Callie said through clenched teeth — he wasn't exactly a light pokémon.

"Growl. . . ," Growlithe said weakly — with the combination of the close range, powerful Psyshock attack and Gothitelle's force field draining his energy, it didn't seem like he had any energy left to battle.

"You did a good job," Callie said softly. "Thank you."

"Pathetic," sneered the woman. "Letting your pokémon sacrifice itself for your own selfish benefits. I won't stand for it — Gothitelle, use Zen Headbutt!"

Gothitelle let out yet another cry, and its head began glowing a blinding shade of white. Then, out of no where, it launched itself towards Callie and Growlithe, who laid defenseless on the ground.

"Callie!" Wes shouted, reaching towards Callie.

Callie pushed Growlithe off of her and out of the way of Gothitelle, and she was trying to get to her feet, but she knew it was no use — that pokémon was going to collide with her, whether she liked it or not.

_"Enough!"_

In the blink of an eye, Celebi was suddenly in front of Callie, floating in midair. It held its hands out in front of it, and a bright green shield appeared before it and Callie — Celebi was using Protect! Gothitelle collided headfirst with Celebi's Protect, and for a moment, Callie thought that the shield wouldn't hold up, that Gothitelle would break through their defense. But Celebi's Protect held strong, and Gothitelle fell to the floor, looking quite dazed from the attack.

"So it's true," said the middle grunt. "Celebi and you do have a strange connection — why else would it protect you?"

"Callie is . . . my friend," Celebi panted weakly — it was obviously not ready for battle, and holding that Protect through a Zen Headbutt attack must have been more than it was ready for. "I will . . . protect her, and she . . . will protect me."

The grunt smirked. "We'll see about that — look at how weak that Celebi is! It'll be easy to capture!"

She pulled a pokéball from her belt — this was a strange ball. It was black and yellow; Callie knew she had seen it. . . . It was an Ultra Ball!

"You're not seriously going to try to catch Celebi!" Callie said incredulously.

"Just watch me!" The woman sneered before she smiled at Celebi. "I'm sure Lord Ghetsis will love to add you to his collection, Celebi!"

With that, the grunt threw the pokéball right towards Celebi. The legendary, having no energy to move, simply sat there, unable to bring itself to dodge it. Callie reached forward, ready to snag Celebi out of the way, but something completely unexpected happened — there was a gray flash as Zoro rushed forward, pushing Celebi out of the way.

It was at that exact moment that the Ultra Ball hit Zoro.

"Zor?" Zoro's eyes widened as he looked to Callie, his face full of fear.

Then he disappeared in a red flash inside the pokéball. The Ultra Ball fell to the ground and began shaking back and forth. Then, the ball fell suddenly still.

Zoro had been caught.

_"No, Zoro!"_ Callie screamed, reaching for the Ultra Ball. _"No!"_

"Gothitelle, use Telekinesis and stop her!" the grunt laughed.

Gothitelle's eyes flashed blue and it pointed towards Callie, who found herself suddenly frozen, unable to move her body. A blue aura surrounded her body, and she was then lifted into the air haphazardly, the contents of her bag being spilt in the process.

"I've got it!" Wes growled, running forward to grab the pokéball that now contained Zoro.

However, without a word to Gothitelle, the pokémon pointed its other hand towards Wes and his pokémon, freezing them, also lifting them into the air alongside Callie, surrounding them all in the same blue aura.

"Let me go!" Callie growled, trying to move her body even an inch, but to no avail. "Put me down!"

The woman took a few steps forward, chuckling darkly as she did so. Slowly, she bent over, picking up the Ultra Ball in her chubby fingers, smiling happily down at it.

"My, my, my — a Zorua, huh?" she smiled, looking over the pokéball in her hands.

"He's not yours!" Callie shouted. "He's my friend! Let him go! Zoro is mine!"

"If that were true, then how come I was able to catch him?" said the woman with a laugh. "I think that means that this Zorua is mine after all, wouldn't you say?"

"He's — not — _yours_!"

Suddenly, the blue aura around Callie vanished and she was freed from Gothitelle's Telekinesis, which sent her falling to the ground. She fell face first, hitting her nose very hard against the dust covered ground, but in that moment, Callie didn't feel the pain — all she felt was the burning rage building inside her.

Zoro had been caught.

Her Zoro.

Callie pushed herself to her feet and glared sharply at the woman in front of her.

"H-how did you break Gothitelle's Telekinesis?" she stammered, taking a shaky step backwards. "Th-that shouldn't be possible!"

But Callie didn't care about her questions — she only cared about one thing.

"I'm taking Zoro back!" Callie shouted, running towards her.

"Gothorita, use Psybeam!" the two other grunt directed simultaneously.

Both Gothorita looked towards Callie and held up their hands, shooting out multi-colored rays directly at her. Both rays hit her, sending her flying backwards, crashing into the far wall of the room. She sat there, dazed and out of breath, unable to hold her head up.

"You're definitely a wild one," said the woman with a smile. "I can see why Lucas has had such a problem with you. Oh, he'll be so mad to know I was able to beat you, but he wasn't."

"I. . . . I'm not done yet," Callie grunted, trying to force herself to her feet. But she couldn't, no matter how hard she tried. She had reached her limit.

"I like you — you've got a lot of moxie," said the woman. She began to take a few steps towards Callie, but she stopped when she stepped on something — Callie's history book. She paused and bent over, picking the book up in her hands.

"What's this?" she said curiously, beginning to open the cover.

"Leave that alone!" Callie and Wes shouted simultaneously.

Obviously, their protests only raised her interest. She smiled softly and snapped the cover of the book shut, tossing the book to the blonde haired grunt.

"You hold on to this — I'm sure it's of some interest," she mused before letting out a sigh. "But I suppose we're just about done here — I've just got to grab Celebi. Y'know, it's a shame that Victini hasn't shown itself, it'd be nice to redeem myself after that blunder of a mission two years ago. . . ."

The woman and the other two grunts chatted for a few moments, and Callie knew this would be her only opportunity to devise a plan. But what? What could she possibly do? None of her pokémon were strong enough to take on Gothitelle. Growlithe was still lying on the floor, his breathing shallow — he was exhausted from his short battle, and this force field was draining so much from him. He needed to get to a Pokémon Center as soon as possible. . . .

Callie looked around at her surroundings, trying to find something that could help, and that's when she saw it. Something very small caught her eye. She turned her head and saw, cowering behind the chair, a small, rabbit-like pokémon staring at Callie with its big blue eyes.

"V-victini," she whispered softly.

The victory pokémon stared at her, unmoving — it was obviously terrified. If what this woman said was true, then it wasn't Victini's first time dealing with Team Plasma. What had they done to it?

"Victini," Callie said softly, tears brimming her eyes. "Y-you've got to help, please."

Victini looked from Callie to the Team Plasma grunts, who were still talking amongst themselves, and then back to Callie before shaking its head quickly.

"Please, Victini," Callie whispered. "I-if you can't help me, then help Growlithe, o-or Celebi. . . . They're in a lot of trouble. . . . Please. . . ."

Victini stared at Callie for a moment before stealing a glance at Growlithe and Celebi, who were both lying motionless on the ground beside one another. He then looked to Callie, and without any warning, Victini disappeared into thin air.

"Damn it," Callie growled. "I should have known. . . ."

"Alright, it's time for us to go," said the leader of the trio. "Gothitelle, grab Celebi — you can let those fools down."

Gothitelle nodded and released Wes and his pokémon from its Telekinesis, causing the three of them to fall to the ground with a great thud. Gothitelle then began making its way towards Growlithe and Celebi.

"Leave . . . Celebi . . . alone," Callie grunted, using every last bit of energy she had left to stand up, leaning against the wall for much needed support.

"This is just pathetic," the grunt laughed. "Gothitelle, hurry, dear, grab the Celebi, hurry up."

Gothitelle neared Celebi, reaching forward to grab it, but then, appearing out of nowhere between Growlithe and Celebi, was Victini.

"Wh-what?" the woman gasped. "That can't be — Victini?"

"Victini!" Victini said happily before placing a hand on Growlithe.

Growlithe's eyes were suddenly bright and lively, seemingly full of energy. Growlithe quickly got to his feet and stood in front of Celebi, glaring at Gothitelle, a cocky grin on his face. For a moment, Callie couldn't figure out where this energy was coming from, but then she remembered what Wes had told her.

_"It's said that trainers with Victini always win, regardless of the type of encounter. They also said that Victini creates an unlimited supply of energy inside its body, which it shares with those that touch it."_

"We can win," Callie whispered as the realization set in. "We can win!"

"What?" said the three Team Plasma grunts in unison.

"Growlithe — use Ember!" Callie called out.

Growlithe reared back and used Ember, shooting several large fire balls at Gothitelle, hitting it straight on. The psychic-type pokémon skidded back several feet, and Growlithe stood triumphantly.

"Now, quickly — use Bite!"

"Growl!"

Growlithe lunged forward and latched onto Gothitelle, using a super powered Bite attack. Gothitelle let out a cry and Growlithe let go, jumping backwards just as Gothitelle fell backwards.

"Now, Growlithe, use Ember one more time!" Callie instructed.

Growlithe opened his mouth, ready to use another Ember attack, but this time, something different happened — instead of fire balls, Growlithe shot a stream of red-orange flames directly at the three psychic pokémon.

"What move is that?" Callie said with wide eyes.

"That's Flamethrower!" Wes said with a grin.

"Gothitelle, no!" the woman exclaimed. Growlithe's Flamethrower attack subsided, revealing the Plasma grunt's pokémon all lying on the floor, unconscious.

The lead Plasma grunt frowned, returning her fainted pokémon. She then looked to her two fellow Plasma grunts. "We must retreat."

"But what about Celebi —"

"We can't get it — let's move it!"

The two grunts nodded and returned their Gothorita, and the three of them turned and took off out of the building.

_"No!"_ Callie shouted. "Not with Zoro!"

She tried to run after them, but the moment she took one step forward, the pain in her body proved to be too much, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Wes said, getting up and running to her.

Growlithe began to move towards Callie, but she stopped him.

_"No!" _Callie snapped at Growlithe and Wes. "I-I'm fine! You need to go after Team Plasma! You need to stop them!"

"Callie, you need medical attention," said Wes. "Your nose is bleeding, and you got hit with two Psybeam attacks."

"I don't care!" Callie shouted. "I need to get Zoro back!"

"Callie —"

"I said I _don't care_!" Callie growled. "Growlithe, go! Go after Team Plasma!"

"No!" Wes snapped. "Growlithe, you stay here — it's too dangerous for you to go after them by yourself."

"Growl?" Growlithe looked hesitantly from Callie to Wes.

"He's my pokémon, Wes — he listens to _me_," sneered Callie.

"If he's your pokémon, then how about think about how much danger you'd be putting him in by sending him after Team Plasma alone!" yelled Wes. "Do you want them to steal Growlithe too?"

Callie sat there, wide eyed — she hadn't thought about that possibility. She then looked to Wes, tears brimming her eyes. All her anger had vanished and had been replaced with anguish.

"But, Wes, they. . . . They caught Zoro. . . . They took him. He. . . . He was my best friend," Callie whimpered, the tears falling down her cheeks. "He's gone. . . . My very best friend is gone."

With those words, Callie broke down into hysterical sobs. Wes frowned and quickly took her in his arms, pulling her close against his chest.

"We can still catch them," Callie said. However, despite her hopefully words, her tone said it all; she didn't believe a single word she said.

"You're in no condition to be going chasing after Team Plasma right now," Wes muttered.

"But, Zoro," Callie whimpered. "He's . . . gone. . . ."

Her body began wrenching as she cried even harder, burying her face into Wes's chest. Zoro was gone. How could he be gone?

"Shh, shh, it's okay," he muttered, stroking her hair. "We'll get him back, Callie, I swear. . . . Team Plasma is going to pay for this. We will get Zoro back, I swear."

He loosened his hold on Callie slightly and she pulled back, staring up at Wes, her eyes red and swollen.

"We're going to get Zoro back, okay?" Wes repeated, waiting for Callie to respond.

Slowly, Callie nodded. Despite this, however, the sobs didn't stop. Wes tried to console her for a few more moments before eventually letting her be. Callie sat there, her head in her hands, her body heaving with each gasping breath she took. Slowly, Growlithe walked over, his head hanging low, and he nudged Callie's hands gently, trying to get her attention. Callie's sobs stopped for a moment, and she looked up from her hands, her cheeks stained with tears.

"Growlithe," Callie said softly. "I. . . . I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to send you out there alone."

"Growl. . . ," Growlithe said quietly, nodding softly — it was obvious he felt partially responsible for Zoro's capture.

"It's okay, Growlithe. . . . We're gonna find Zoro, and we're going to get him back, okay?" Callie said gently, patting his head. "Let's try to think of something positive, like you learning a new move!"

Growlithe smiled softly, his tail thumping against the ground happily. Callie gave a very weak smile, wiping away her tears. She then looked to Victini, who was standing beside Celebi.

"Victini. . . . Thank you," Callie said softly, her voice cracking slightly — it was hard trying to fight the urge to break down into tears once more. "I-if it weren't for you, they would have gotten Celebi."

"Tini!" Victini sang happily.

"Yes, thank you . . . Victini," Celebi said weakly before looking to Callie. "We should go back to the boat. . . . We both need rest."

Callie nodded vaguely, and Wes returned his pokémon before putting an arm around her waist, hoisting her to her feet.

"Tini?" Victini looked between Callie and Celebi, realizing that something was definitely wrong. Then it reached out and simply placed one of its small hands on Celebi. In a moment, Celebi went from pale and withered, to bright and lively, all in the blink of an eye. Celebi looked just as animated and energetic as the day they met at the abandoned gym.

"V-victini!" Celebi said, obviously astounded by how it felt. "Th-thank you!"

"Celebi?" Callie said, her eyes widening. "Are you okay?"

"I feel . . . great!" said Celebi, still in shock. "Victini shared some of its energy with me. I feel better than ever!"

Callie smiled weakly. "Well, that's great."

Celebi smiled, floating into the air — Callie hadn't seen it fly since right before it said goodbye when they first arrived in Aspertia City.

"I think it may be best if we part ways here, Callie," Celebi said. "I need to stay out of Team Plasma's way — but don't worry, I'll never be too far should you two need any help along the way."

"Thank you," Callie said softly.

"It was great meeting you, Celebi," said Wes. "Take care of yourself.

Celebi looked at Wes, its eyes bright and glistening. "Yes, and you too, Wes — you as well, Callie."

Then, Celebi became suddenly translucent, and it disappeared. Callie then looked to Victini, who smiled brightly at her and Wes.

"Thanks again, Victini," Callie said.

"Growl!" Growlithe said happily.

"Vic! Victini!" Victini sang happily before flying over to Callie. It hovered in front of her for a brief moment before playfully reaching out and poking the tip of her nose.

"Tini!" Victini giggled.

The moment Victini touched Callie, she suddenly felt a surge of energy that was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Any pains she had suddenly vanished, and her exhaustion dissolved away, leaving Callie feeling more alert and energized than ever before. Callie perked up immediately, no longer needing to lean on Wes for support, and she smiled softly as she looked from Wes to Growlithe, chuckling in disbelief — she felt amazing.

"Thank you, Victini," Callie said, her eyes wide.

"Ti! Tini!" Victini said, shaking its head before slowly flying around the room, looking for something.

"What?" said Callie.

"I don't think Victini's done yet," Wes muttered.

The two of them stood silently and watched for a few moments as Victini searched the room for whatever it was it wanted. Then Victini let out a pleased shout, and it flew straight towards Callie, something in its hands. Callie watched curiously as Victini stopped in front of her and held out its hands, and when she saw what it was holding, she could help but smile weakly.

The red ball.

"You want me to take this?" said Callie.

"Tini," Victini said softly, nodding its head.

Callie chuckled lightly and took the ball from Victini.

"Thank you again, Victini. . . . For everything," she said weakly.

"Vic! Victini! Tini!" Victini giggled before making a V sign with its hands and disappearing.

Suddenly alone, Wes looked to Callie, smiling gently.

"How about we all get back to the boat, huh?" said Wes. "I'm sure we could all use some rest."

"Hm? O-oh, yeah, sure," Callie muttered distractedly as she tucked the red ball inside her bag.

However, they didn't make it more than a few steps to the door before a figure appeared in the doorway, staring at them. The two trainers tensed up, expecting it to be another Team Plasma member, but were surprised to see none other than the vendor from earlier in the doorway.

"That. . . . That was Team Plasma, just now!" the man said with wide eyes. "They were looking for Celebi!"

"Yeah, we know," Wes muttered.

"A-and you stopped them?" he said.

"We did what we could," said Wes.

The man's face broke out into a sudden smile and he clapped his hands excitedly.

"Oh, I just knew you two would stop them," said the man. "Just like Black and White did! I almost couldn't believe it when I saw Team Plasma. What are the odds that they would show up here, the same day that you two arrived? They were rambling on about Celebi though. . . . Why would Celebi be here of all places?"

"No idea," Callie said quietly. "But Team Plasma's gone, so we'd best get going."

"No, no, stay!" said the man happily. "Let us at least thank you both, please!"

Callie opened her mouth to protest — she wasn't in any kind of mood to celebrate. However, before she could say anything, Wes spoke up.

"You know, that'd be wonderful, thank you," Wes said with a smile.

The vendor looked very pleased and turned around, running back to his cart to get something. Callie shot Wes a glare.

"I don't want to stay," Callie muttered. "I just want to go back to the boat."

"Well, Pop Roxie and Politoed probably aren't even finished fixing up the boat yet anyway, so why don't we stay a little while longer and enjoy ourselves?" said Wes with a grin.

"I thought you said we could all use some rest?" Callie said doubtfully.

"Right now, I think you need a distraction more than anything," said Wes. "Now, come on — I'm forcing you to have some fun."

And with that, he ushered her out of the building, Growlithe following close behind them.

_~ Meanwhile, back at Team Plasma Headquarters ~_

A few hours later, the three Plasma Grunts who had infiltrated Liberty Garden were standing in none other than Lord Ghetsis's office. Lord Ghetsis himself sat in a large plush chair, his hands folded on his lap as he stared at the three grunts before him. Beside him stood a man with blonde hair and glasses dressed in black slacks with a long white coat. The man's name was Colress, and he was the head researcher of Team Plasma, as well as Lord Ghetsis's second-in-command.

"Mara, tell me, how did things go at Liberty Garden?" said Lord Ghetsis. "Were you able to capture Celebi? Or Victini?"

Mara — the short, plump woman — stepped forward, bowing to Lord Ghetsis before she spoke.

"U-Unfortunately, Lord Ghetsis, we were unsuccessful in capturing either Celebi or Victini," said Mara, trembling where she stood.

Lord Ghetsis frowned, his hands both balling into fists as he spoke through clenched teeth. "You mean to tell me you went to Liberty Garden to retrieve either pokémon and you've returned empty handed? What happened this time? Were you beaten by some children once again?"

Mara's eyes widened slightly and she frowned.

"W-well, I wouldn't call them children, per say. . . . They were older a few years older than the last ones, a-and their pokémon were fairly strong. Then Celebi protected the girl, a-and Victini touched the Growlithe, and —"

"You saw both of them?" snapped Lord Ghetsis, losing all his patience. "You managed to spot both pokémon, and yet you've returned with nothing? Tell me, how does such a thing happen?"

"B-but, sir!" Mara said quickly, fumbling for the Ultra Ball and the history book she had picked up. "I haven't returned completely empty handed! I-I managed to capture a wild Zorua, a-and I found this book —"

"A Zorua and a book?" Lord Ghetsis said dully. "Why would I have use for either one of those?"

"W-well," Mara stammered. "It's not just any Zorua — it's the girl's Zorua. A-and I took the liberty to look through the book on the way back to headquarters, and I've realized that it's a history book."

"A history book?" Lord Ghetsis echoed. "Wow, enchanting, what will I do with all that useless knowledge?!"

Mara flinched as he yelled, but still she managed to find the courage to speak. "Sir, if you will just listen for one moment. . . . Like I said, this is a history book, but it's not a normal history book. W-what I mean to say is, this book tells of things that haven't even happened yet. Its print date is twenty years from now."

Lord Ghetsis looked at Mara with a raised eyebrow. "What are you getting at, Mara?"

"If I may, sir," said Colress, speaking for the first time since the meeting had started. "What I believe Captain Mara is trying to say is that this book seems to be from the future."

"The future?" said Lord Ghetsis. "But how could that be possible?"

"I-it belongs to the girl — Callie, I think is her name," said Mara quickly. "She's the one who's been protecting Celebi!"

"If it belongs to her, then maybe my predictions were right," said Colress. "When I picked up on the energy of Celebi's time travel, I told you I suspected that Celebi was possibly trying to interfere with our plans somehow. But maybe it's not Celebi we have to worry about — maybe it's this girl — Callie."

"What do you mean?" said Lord Ghetsis.

"I think Celebi brought Callie back here to try to stop our plans," said Colress.

"But how did Celebi know we were up to something? Why would it try to stop us?" said Lord Ghetsis.

Colress thought for a brief moment before his eyes widened ever so slightly.

"If Celebi brought Callie back here to stop us now. . . . It must mean that, in whatever time Callie is from, we succeed in our plans," said Colress.

Lord Ghetsis smiled softly, chuckling.

"Well, Celebi has another thing coming if it thinks a mere child can stop the new Team Plasma," he said with a grin.

"Mara, may I see that book?" said Colress curiously.

Mara nodded, quickly handing the book to her superior. Colress took it and flipped through the pages, stopping every once in a while to scan over the page. It took him a few moments, but he eventually stopped, finding exactly what he was looking for.

"Right here," Colress said quietly. "This entire chapter is devoted to the history of our take over — major dates, events. . . . It's all rather accurate to the time estimate I drew up for us. . . . My, my, what's this?"

"What?" said Lord Ghetsis. "What is it?"

"Well, this book tells of a boy who apparently is going to try to stop us," said Colress with an amused grin. "A boy by the name Weston Gates — it says he was almost successful in defeating us, but in the end, he couldn't quite seal the deal, and then he disappeared."

Lord Ghetsis let out a loud laugh. "Ha! He disappeared because of the sheer embarrassment of his failure! Well, I wonder if he knows how pointless it is — we're going to succeed! Let's see the poor sap, Colress, show us his picture!"

Colress nodded and show Mara and Lord Ghetsis a picture of Wes — it was the picture of him and Emboar outside the Nimbasa City gym.

"I almost pity him," Lord Ghetsis muttered, smiling softly. "Almost. . . ."

"That's him!" said Mara suddenly, pointing at the picture. "That's the boy who was there with Callie!"

"They're traveling together?" said Colress.

Mara nodded. "Yes, they are!"

"So?" Lord Ghetsis said with a laugh. "Remember, Colress, we're successful, we take over Unova!"

"Yes, but that was with this Weston Gates boy acting alone," said Colress, looking troubled. "Celebi brought this girl back itself, so we have to assume Celebi chose to bring her back for a reason. . . . Celebi must think that, together, Weston and Callie can stop us."

Lord Ghetsis stopped smiling as that realization settled in. Then, he looked back towards, Mara, his face stoney.

"Mara," he muttered. "That Zorua. . . . You said it was the girl's?"

"Yes, Lord Ghetsis," said Mara.

"Good," he muttered. "Give it to Colress — we're going to make sure she doesn't get in our way."


	12. On to Castelia!

Chapter Twelve

_~Wes's POV~_

"Finally, Castelia City!" Wes proclaimed happily as he and Callie stood on the dock of Castelia City, each of them standing beside their bikes.

It was around noon — they hadn't left Liberty Garden until earlier that morning, due to Callie and Wes staying and celebrating with the locals a bit longer than expected. Wes had been hoping it would help lift Callie's spirits, but the attempt seemed to be in vain, as she was still just as down as she had been before. In fact, it appeared as though her mood had actually worsened.

"What do you think, Callie?" said Wes with a smile. "How different does it look from your time?"

"It looks . . . cool," Callie said plainly, barely glancing around.

"Well, kids, I guess this is where we part!" said Pop Roxie and he and Politoed emerged from the captain's cockpit. "I must say, it was quite the adventure! I'm glad I was the one to help you two reach Castelia City!"

"Yeah, thanks again, Pop Roxie," said Wes with a smile. "You too, Politoed!"

"Poli!" Politoed said with a smile.

"Do you know where you two will be staying?" said Pop Roxie.

"I think we were just planning on getting a room at the Pokémon Center, right?" Wes said, looking to Callie.

"Hm? O-oh, yeah," said Callie absentmindedly.

Wes frowned softly and opened his mouth to say something, but Pop Roxie shook his head.

"Don't bother her too much," Pop Roxie said lowly to Wes so Callie couldn't hear — Wes filled him in on the events that transpired at the light house when they got back to the boat the night before. "She's going through a lot right now. . . . That Zorua was very special to her. It'll be a while before she's okay."

Wes continued to frown, but he nodded ever so slightly before looking at Callie and offering a small smile. However, Callie wasn't looking at him. She was staring across the dock at all odd ship — it was a black ship with sails on it. Perhaps is wasn't so strange to other people, but something about that ship seemed oddly familiar, as if she had seen it before.

Wes followed her gaze to the ship and raised an eyebrow. "That's a strange ship. A sailing ship, in this day and age?"

"I feel like I've seen it before," Callie muttered. "Zoro, do you know where we've seen —"

Callie stopped talking as she became suddenly aware of the absence of his presence. With both Zoro and Celebi gone, Callie felt very alone, despite having all her pokémon and Wes along with her.

A sudden hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her thoughts, and she turned to see Wes standing there beside her, smiling sadly.

"It'll be okay," Wes said softly. "We'll get him back."

"Whatever," Callie muttered, jerking away from Wes and walking off, pushing her bike along with her as she began to head towards the Pokémon Center. She didn't need the map to guide her to her destination — after all, she grew up here.

Wes sighed heavily, shaking his head as he watched her walk away — Callie had been very standoffish since Zoro was taken. He understood why, but there didn't seem to be anyway to cheer her up. . . .

"She'll come around, don't you worry," said Pop Roxie.

"I just want to help her," said Wes, frowning. "I should have grabbed the pokéball. . . . If I had just been a little faster, none of this would have happened. . . . I could have at least kept Team Plasma from taking Zoro. . . ."

"Don't blame yourself," said Pop Roxie. "We knew that Team Plasma was going to come for Celebi, but we didn't know that Zoro was going to get caught. Callie's hurting now, but she'll heal with time."

"I've got to get him back," Wes muttered. "I've got to find Team Plasma!"

"I think you need to make taking care of Callie your first priority," said Pop Roxie. "Besides, this goal you kids have, going off and stopping Team Plasma —"

"We're not kids," Wes interjected.

"Right," said Pop Roxie, shaking his head. "Whether you're kids or not, you're both still too young to be worrying about stopping them. Just leave it to the professionals."

"Yeah," Wes said slowly. "It's a bit more complicated than that. I feel like. . . . Well, I feel like this is something I'm meant to do."

Pop Roxie sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Whatever you say. . . . Now, go take care of that girl, you hear me?"

Wes nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks again for the ride, Pop Roxie."

"My pleasure, Wes," said the captain. "You two take care of yourselves!"

"You too!" said Wes, heading off after Callie. "Bye, Pop Roxie! Bye, Politoed!"

Pop Roxie and Politoed both waved as they watched Wes catch up with Callie. As the two friends disappeared from sight, Pop Roxie and Politoed ceased their waving, and the captain sighed heavily, shaking his head slightly.

"My, my, my," Pop Roxie said quietly. "Those two. . . . They're quite something, aren't they, Politoed?"

"Poli," said the green, frog-like pokémon that stood beside him.

"They're going to get themselves into quite a bit of trouble, I'm sure," Pop Roxie muttered. "But, I suppose if anyone's going to stop Team Plasma. . . . Well, they've got what it takes."

"Toed!" Politoed said in agreement.

Pop Roxie smiled softly and nodded to himself. "Well, how about you and I go get one of those Casteliacones before heading back to Virbank? Sound good?"

"Poli! Politoed!" Politoed exclaimed happily.

So, with Callie, Wes, Pop Roxie, and Politoed gone, the pier was left empty. However, it didn't remain empty for long — two figures appeared from the strange black sailing ship. They quickly got off their vessel and looked around at their surroundings, taking it all in.

"So, this is Castelia City?" said the man to his partner, the small-framed woman who stood beside him.

"Mhmm," his partner mused. "Lord Ghetsis wants us to capture wild pokémon to help Colress with his research."

"Yes, but where does he expect us to find wild pokémon in Castelia City?" said the man crossly.

The woman shook her head. "I don't ask questions — I just do as I'm told, and it would serve you well to do the same."

The man rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. . . ."

"Good," said his partner, pleased to have his agreement. "Now, let's get going."

* * *

Callie and Wes soon found themselves standing outside the Pokémon Center, and admittedly, Callie was left a bit awestruck — just weeks before, she had been standing in this very spot outside the building, looking at the rundown remains of the structure. In her time, it had chipped paint and broken windows, and the neon pokéball sign that hung proudly on the front was broken and faded. However, the building before her looked nothing like that. It was freshly painted, and the windows that lined the building were clean and shining, as the neon pokéball sign shone brightly and boldly, not so much as a single scratch on it at all.

"Wow," Callie said softly. "It's. . . . Beautiful."

"Really?" said Wes curiously. "It looks like a normal Pokémon Center to me."

Callie shook her head, a small smile on her face. "In my time, this place is closed off and abandoned. . . . It's kind of amazing to see it in its prime."

"You're smiling," said Wes softly. Callie looked at him curiously, and he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I-I mean, yeah, I guess it is something then, huh?"

Callie nodded. "Well, let's go get checked in."

"Maybe we can explore the city afterwards?" Wes offered with a smile. "I'm want to know how different things are now from your time. . . . If you don't mind."

"Let's just get checked in," said Callie, her smile fading.

The two of them parked their bikes outside of center and walked inside. There were considerably more trainers inside this Pokémon Center than the one in Virbank City, but Callie also knew that Castelia was much larger than Virbank. There was a Nurse Joy sitting happily beside the desk alongside an Audino, and both of them looked up as Callie and Wes walked inside.

"Welcome!" said Nurse Joy. "How may we help you?"

"We were hoping you had some extra rooms?" said Wes. "We just need to stay for a few nights — I believe the Nurse Joy from Virbank City may have called ahead and told you we were coming. My name is Wes, and this is Callie."

"Wes and Callie?" Nurse Joy gasped, her eyes widened some. "You two — you have —"

Nurse Joy glanced around nervously, as if to make sure no one was listening, but once she was in the clear, she continued.

"You two have Celebi with you, correct?" she said.

Wes smiled softly. "We did, but Celebi made a full recovery on our journey over here, and it was able to return to the wild."

Nurse Joy's face changed, and though she smiled, Wes could tell that she seemed slightly disappointed. "Well, I'm glad to hear that Celebi was able to make a full recovery, though I must admit, I was hoping I'd get the chance to meet Celebi myself."

"I'm sure, but it's safer for everyone that Celebi" said Wes with a smile.

"Yes, I guess you're right," said Nurse Joy. "Well, I do have a room set up for you two, if you'd like to follow me —"

"Just one room?" said Callie curiously.

Wes and Nurse Joy turned to look at her, and based on the expression on Callie's face, it didn't seem like she was too keen on the idea of sharing a room with Wes.

"I believe we have a few more rooms available," said Nurse Joy slowly. "Would you two _like_ separate rooms?"

Wes laughed softly, shaking his head. "That's not —"

"That'd be great, thank you," said Callie quickly.

Wes paused and stared at Callie with wide eyes. Nurse Joy's smile faltered some as she awkwardly looked between the two.

"All righty, two rooms then," she said with a nervous chuckle.

"Still not comfortable with me?" said Wes with a joking laugh.

Callie didn't seem to find any humor in it at all.

"I just want to be alone, Wes," Callie said shortly, not meeting Wes's gaze.

Wes's smile faded and he frowned and said nothing. Nurse Joy stood from her seat behind the desk and led the two down the hall way to their rooms, which were right across the hall from one another.

"Alright, here are your, erm, private rooms," said Nurse Joy. "You two are welcomed to stay as long as you'd like! Let me or Audino know if there's anything else we can do for you."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Wes said.

"Yeah, thank you," Callie said as Nurse Joy turned and headed back towards the lobby.

The two of them stood in the hallway for a moment, watching Nurse Joy walk away. Then they looked to each other for a brief moment. Wes offered a weak smile, and Callie simply nodded before turning her back to him and going into her room, closing the door quickly behind her. Wes's face fell and he sighed heavily, going into his own room and shutting the door behind him.

He wished so desperately to find some sort of way to cheer her up — he hated seeing Callie like that. He hadn't known her long, but she always seemed so happy, so hopeful. . . . Seeing her so depleted of any energy or feeling. . . . It was concerning. But she needed time to herself. . . . At least, that what Pop Roxie said, and Callie even said so herself.

So, Wes made himself comfortable in his room. For a few hours, he didn't do much except watch TV from his bed, flipping through the channels idly. Once he got tired of that, he looked through some of the magazines and books that were left on the small side table for anyone's enjoyment. A few moments were spent staring blankly out of the street facing window, watching the many different residents of Castelia City stroll by his window.

Soon enough, his stomach was growling, and Wes looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was well past seven o'clock, meaning it was time for dinner. He rose from his place on his bed and left his bedroom, strolling across the small hallway to Callie's door.

Wes sniffled a yawn as he knocked on Callie's door.

"Hey, c'mon, it's time for dinner," Wes said.

There was no response from the other side of the door, and after a few moments, Wes knocked again.

"Callie, let's go," Wes said. "You've got to eat something."

There was a series of sounds that came from behind the door that indicated bit of shuffle in the room, and then the door to Callie's room slowly opened a few inches. Standing on the other side of the door was a disheveled looking Callie — Wes guessed she must had fallen asleep.

"You, uh, look a bit rough," Wes said with a small smile.

Callie, however, didn't smile back. "I'm not hungry," she said simply.

Wes's smile faltered and he frowned, looking her over. "Do you feel okay?"

"I'm fine, Wes," Callie said, though Wes could see through that blatant lie with ease — she was definitely not okay.

"Callie. . . . Talk to me," said Wes. "Is it about, y'know. . . . Zoro?"

"I said I'm fine, Wes," Callie said again, this time sounded very irritated.

Then, with an aggravated sigh and roll of her eyes, Callie turned her back, the door closing behind her. Wes stood there, a bit stunned by her tone, but he remembered what Pox Roxie said. . . . She needed time.

"Okay," Wes muttered to himself. "I guess I'll go get dinner by myself."

He went down to the cafeteria at the Pokémon Center, having a rather uneventful dinner with just himself and his pokémon. For a bit over a week now, Wes had spent every meal sitting across from Callie, the two of them talking about the vast difference between their upbringings; Wes's filled with pokémon and life-long dreams of being a Pokémon Master, versus Callie's childhood, where she wanted to graduate from high school and go on to be a curator of a museum. . . . Wes never realized how much he actually enjoyed those seemingly never ending conversations, until he had to sit through one without it.

After he and his pokémon had all had there share, Wes stood up and went back towards his room. He opened the door to his room and was just about to go in, when he stopped briefly to steal a glance at Callie's door — maybe he should knock and see how she was feeling?

"No. . . . She needs space," Wes muttered to himself before going into his room and closing the door.

The next day, things still didn't seem to be better with Callie. She declined Wes's invitation to go for breakfast, and even the offer of a battle between the two on them. Even mention of a gym battle with Burgh didn't seem to lift her spirits. When it came time for lunch, Wes also stopped by Callie's room, but once again, she just called through the door that she wouldn't be joining him for lunch either. So Wes went off to yet another quiet meal by himself. And it was the same reaction when Wes went to bother her about dinner.

This trend continued into the next day, Wes eating alone for all three meals. He attempted to go exploring, but after a few minutes, Wes decided it didn't feel right if Callie wasn't coming along. But alas, each time Wes went to her room to speak to her, Callie called a short response from the other side of the door, not opening her door a single time. It wasn't until the very next day that Wes had grown tired of the solitude. He had just finished with another rather boring, uneventful lunch, and was about to go back to his room. However, on his way back to his room this time, he stopped at the front desk of the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy had been sitting with Audino.

"Nurse Joy," said Wes. "Have you seen my friend leave her room at all since we got here?"

"Your friend? Oh, you mean Callie?" said Nurse Joy with a smile. "Callie left her room her first night here to request her food be brought to her room for her and her pokémon during the duration of her stay. Aside from that, well. . . . I guess I haven't seen her leave her room," said Nurse Joy, frowning softly.

"She wants to stay in her room for the entire trip?" Wes muttered to himself in disbelief, shaking his head. "Man, this Zoro thing really has her down. . . ."

"You could always find some way to cheer her up," suggested Nurse Joy. "Castelia City has tons of fun things to do in the city — perhaps a little sight seeing will cheer her up?"

"Yeah. . . . Maybe you're right," said Wes with a smile.

So, with that, Wes went to Callie's room, knocking eagerly to himself.

"Callie," Wes said happily. "C'mon, open up!"

"I'm not in the mood, Wes," Callie called from the other side of the door.

"I'm not going away this time, Callie," said Wes. "Not until you at least open this door!"

There was silence for a moment, and then Wes heard her get out of bed and shuffle towards the door. Slowly, the door to the room opened and Wes found Callie standing behind the partially opened door. He couldn't see much of her, but the glimpse of her he did catch showed her still in her pajamas, her hair completely disheveled, and her face looked paled. She looked absolutely horrible.

"What do you want, Wes?" Callie said, sighing heavily.

"I was thinking we could go out and explore the city some," said Wes, deciding not to express concern for Callie's wellbeing. "Maybe some sight seeing will improve your mood!"

"I'm not really feeling up to it," Callie said, frowning. "Like I said, Wes, I just . . . need some alone time."

"But Nurse Joy said you asked her to deliver your food to the room for the rest of our stay here," said Wes, frowning. "You've got to come out of your room sometime."

"I will, Wes, really, I just. . . . I want to be alone," Callie said quietly, closing the door.

However, before she could close the door completely, Wes stuck his foot out, stopping Callie from shutting her door. She looked at him, her eyes narrowed.

"You can't keep this us, Callie," Wes said, shaking his head. "You can't stay in here the entire time."

"I told you, Wes," Callie said, shaking her head. "I'm just not in the mood."

"But why?" said Wes incredulously. "We did everything we could, Callie! We could have stopped Team Plasma!"

"But we could have, Wes!" Callie snapped. "We could have prevented it! I could have prevented it! Zoro getting captured. . . . It was all my fault."

"What?" Wes said, his eyes widening. "Why in the world would you say that?"

"Because it's true!" Callie said. "I pressured Celebi into using its power to teleport us out of that storm even though I knew that Team Plasma would be able to track us if it did. Celebi even warned me before it did that Team Plasma would find us, but I still begged it to save us. So it saved us, but Team Plasma tracked us down, and they stole Zoro. If it weren't for me, he'd —"

"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't even be here, Callie," said Wes, shaking his head in disbelief. "If you hadn't convinced Celebi to teleport us out of that storm, we'd all be at the bottom of the ocean right now. We wouldn't be here in this Pokémon Center — we wouldn't be _alive_ if it weren't for you, Callie. That rogue wave would have crushed our ship, and we all would have drowned."

Callie stood there silently for a moment, and Wes thought that perhaps his words had gotten through to her. However, after a few brief moments, Callie shook her head.

"You just don't get it, Wes," she said softly as she used her own foot to gently nudge Wes's foot out of the way of her door. "You couldn't possibly understand. . . . Just. . . . Please, leave me alone. . . ."

And with that, Callie closed the door to her room, leaving Wes alone in the hallway. Wes knew better than to go on and bother her anymore, so instead he walked away from her door and across the hall to his room. Closing the door behind him, Wes settled onto his bed with a great sigh, making himself comfortable under the sheets. He grabbed the remote from the bedside table, idly putting on the television to offer him some background noise. He flipped the television to the news channel, not really paying it much attention.

"There's gotta be some way to cheer her up," Wes muttered to himself as he laid in his bed. "I know Pop Roxie said to give her time, and Callie said she wanted to be alone, but. . . . I need to cheer her up, I've just got to. . . ."

It was then that an image of a small little girl flashed across the screen of the TV. In the image, the young girl was smiling broadly, holding onto an ice cream cone. Above her, the words 'Try a Casteliacone today!' was written in large red font. Wes smiled to himself. Of course — Casteliacones! He remembered they had been on the rage a few years before, and everyone would flock to Castelia City just to try to get their hands on one.

"I got it!" Wes exclaimed. What would cheer up Callie better than a Casteliacone?

So, with a plan in mind, Wes jumped to his feet and headed out of his room, down the hallway to the front desk, where Nurse Joy appeared to just be getting herself settled back into her seat behind the desk.

"Nurse Joy!" Wes said quickly. "Do you know where the nearest Casteliacone stand is?"

"Casteliacone?" said Nurse Joy with a smile. "Of course! I would recommend going to the stand on Mode Street — they have the best Castliacones in the city by far!"

"Perfect, thank you!" Wes said with a smile before taking off out the doors of the Pokémon Center.

Castelia City was the largest city in Unova. Unlike other cities, it was a huge, sprawling metropolis, sporting many towering skyscrapers and other tall buildings. It was the heart of business and economy of the Unova region, and for Wes, who came from the small town of Aspertia City, it was easy to get lost. Most of its city streets were crowded with different people rushing around, trying to get to work, home, or other places, creating the hustle and bustle scene for city life. The city's core was the central business district, with huge skyscrapers and other commercial buildings, but the series of alleyways that lead into this core where lined with smaller shops, set up among city traffic. The city was a melting pot, incorporating cultures and foods from other regions. From across the globe, artists also flocked to Castelia to open their art galleries.

"Amazing," Wes said to himself as he stared around wide eyed. "Simply amazing. . . . But now, I've got to find Mode Street. . . ."

Wes pulled out his town map, zooming in on his location and looking around the map.

"Alright, Mode Street shouldn't be too far from here. . . . Just a few paces this way, and it should be on my left. . . ."

And so he was off. He began walking down the street and took a left, which put him on Mode Street. It was another commuter-heavy street, but not as large or as busy as Castelia Street. Many trees and plants lined its sides, giving the street a feeling of nature. Along the east side of Mode Street was Studio Castelia, a popular art gallery where people went to enjoy local artwork, and along the west side was the Casteliacone stand that Nurse Joy had told Wes about. However, much to his surprise, there wasn't a very long line — in fact, not a single soul stood outside the stand, and for a moment, Wes was curious if it was open.

Slowly, he walked over to the stand and stood at the counter, but he didn't see anyone at the register.

"Hello?" Wes called out. "Is anyone there?"

"Hm? O-oh my, is that a customer?" a voice from the back piped up.

Suddenly, a small, petite woman appeared behind the counter, her eyes widening when she saw Wes.

"Oh, it was a customer!" she said in surprise. "How may I help you?"

"I just wanted to get two Casteliacones, if you don't mind," said Wes sheepishly — Nurse Joy had said this place had the best Casteliacones in the city, but if that were true, how come there was no one else there?

"Two Casteliacones? Of course, coming right up!" said the shopkeeper happily, starting to scoop the ice cream.

As she worked, Wes glanced around Mode Street for end to end — it was definitely crowded with people, but there was no one giving this stand a second glance.

"Business hasn't been very good lately," said the woman, seeing Wes look around curiously. "We used to be busy constantly — we'd sell out daily, and people would come in crowds from all across Unova. But lately, not many people have been giving us so much as a glance."

Wes frowned softly. "I'm sorry to hear that. . . ."

"Oh, it's quite alright," said the woman, forcing a smile as she finished the Casteliacones and handed them to Wes. "I'm sure business will pick up sooner or later."

Wes smiled and gave her some money as he took the Casteliacones. "I'm sure you're right. Thanks again, have a great day!"

And with that, Wes left the Casteliacone stand. Wes had all intentions of heading straight back to the Pokémon Center, but something caused him to pause.

"Somebody, please, stop that man!"

Wes froze and looked around for the source of the cry — but it didn't appear to be coming from anyone on Mode Street.

"Please, anybody — help!"

It was coming from the next street over. Wes hurried ran in the sound of the voice, running by commuters, doing his best to avoid bumping into to anyone and dropping the Casteliacones. He followed the cry to Gym Street, which was a large street that contained its namesake, the Castelia Gym. Standing before the gym was a young girl, who stood there, her face in her hands, and an older gentleman stood beside her, trying to console her.

Wes quickly ran over to them.

"Hey, is everything okay?" said Wes when he got near them.

The young girl looked up at him, her face streaked with tears. "N-no, not at all! These two men dressed in black came right up to me and stole my pokéball off my belt! It had my Eevee in it!"

"What?" Wes's shock caused him to drop the two Casteliacones in his hand. "Someone stole your Eevee? That's terrible!"

The girl nodded. "Mhmm. They called themselves Team Plasma or something, and stole my Eevee! They said they were liberating it!"

Wes clenched his fists — Team Plasma was here in Castelia City? Why couldn't those creeps just stay gone for a while?

"Well, I've got to help!" Wes said. He then looked to the older man standing beside her. "Hey, where's the Gym Leader? He can help, right?"

The man shook his head. "I'm afraid the Gym Leader, Burgh, is already one step ahead of you. He said there might be trouble and then he took off! You can go look for him if you'd like! I believe he went after Team Plasma to retrieve this young girl's Eevee."

"Huh? Burgh vanished again?" said a voice.

Wes turned and saw a young woman with dark skin and wild violet hair looking at them with curious, maroon colored eyes. She was dressed in an elegant pink gown, and came towards the three of them.

"Oh, hello, Iris! Something came up, and Burgh isn't here right now," said the older man.

"Hmm. . . . Isn't Burgh always vanishing though? He always says he's got artist's block and just goes wandering out of the Gym. . . . Hey there, who are you?" Iris said, looking at Wes curiously.

"I'm Weston Gates," said Wes. "But most people just call me Wes."

"Wes, huh?" said Iris with a smile. She stepped forward and stepped in something that made a soft '_squish_' noise, and when they all looked down, they saw she was stepping in one of the Casteliacones that Wes had dropped.

"Oh, sorry," Wes said sheepishly. "I dropped those."

"Are those Casteliacones?" said Iris, her eyes widening. "Oh, I heard there's an amazing place around here!"

"It's a few streets over," said Wes. "I'd love to show you, but I need to find Team Plasma."

"You're looking for Team Plasma? But Team Plasma disbanded two years ago!" said Iris, forgetting about her sudden desire for a Casteliacone.

"Yeah, I thought so too, but recently, they've been causing a lot of problems," said Wes lowly. "For instance, they just stole this girl's Eevee!"

"Oh no, your Eevee?" said Iris with wide eyes, looking at the girl. "Why are you just standing there? Well, I guess that doesn't matter! You're having problems, so I'll help you out! Hmm. . . . Now, where would suspicious people go to hide?" Iris seemed to be racking her brain for a moment before she clapped her hands together. "That's it! That might be where they are!"

And without another word, she took off down Gym Street and turned the corner, disappearing from sight.

"Good grief. . . . Burgh and Iris are so similar. It looks like she went around the corner, toward the Pokémon Center. Do you know where the Pokémon Center is?"

"Not from here, no," Wes said with a frown.

"If you follow the street that goes around Castelia City, it goes right there!" said the man.

Wes nodded. "Right," he then looked to the young girl. "I promise, I'll get your Eevee back, safe and sound!"

Wes took off after Iris, following the older man's instructions. He turned left at the corner, just like Iris did, and after making his way through a few more crowds of people, he found himself in front of the Pokémon Center once again, where Iris was standing just outside, waiting for him. Once she laid eyes on him, she looked at him impatiently.

"Hey, c'mon! It's just past here! If you mention a suspicious place in Castelia City, the only place that come to mind are Narrow Street and here!" said Iris as she began to take off again.

Wes nodded and was just about to follow after her when he looked back to the Pokémon Center. Where they were headed, they were hopefully going to run into Team Plasma, which meant there was a chance they could see Zoro. . . . Callie had to come with them.

"Iris!" Wes called out, stopping her in her tracks. "Wait! I've got to get my friend!"

"Your friend?" said Iris with a frown. "There's no time for friends!"

"I have to!" said Wes. "This is important to her!"

"Fine!" said Iris impatiently. "But I'm leaving without you!"

"But wait!" Wes called out as Iris took off. "Where are you going?"

However, Iris didn't respond and she disappeared into the sea of people. Great. . . . Team Plasma was somewhere in Castelia City, and the only person who knew where to go just left without him. . . .

"Hey, Wes!"

Wes looked up and saw none other than Hugh coming towards him.

"Hugh?" Wes said, a smiling breaking out across his face. "It's nice to see you! I take it as you beat Roxie?"

"Of course I did, look!" said Hugh, pulling out a small badge case from his pocket. He opened it, and inside were two badges — the Basic badge and the Toxic badge.

"That's great!" said Wes. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks! That means I'm all caught up with you and Callie!" said Hugh happily. Wes frowned slightly though, and Hugh's eyes widened. "Don't tell me — did you and Callie already get your third badges? Am I really too late? It's only been a few days!"

Wes shook his head, still looking troubled. "No, no, it's not that — I just. . . . I have to go get Callie."

Wes headed inside the Pokémon Center, and Hugh followed after him.

"Is everything okay, Wes? You look troubled," Hugh said.

"Everything fine, it's just. . . . I'm worried about Callie," said Wes as they walked.

"What's wrong with Callie? Did she get hurt? Did something happen to one of her pokémon?" said Hugh as he followed.

Wes paused, frowning. "Team Plasma, they. . . . They attacked us the other day, at Liberty Garden."

"You two went to Liberty Garden?" said Hugh. "Oh, I heard that there's this legendary pokémon there, Victini, and —"

_"Hugh,"_ Wes groaned, cueing his friend to fall silent. "Listen. Team Plasma attacked us at Liberty Garden, and they tried to catch Celebi, but Zoro dove in front of the pokéball and got captured. Callie and I tried to get the pokéball, but Team Plasma was able to get the pokéball before us. They took Zoro."

"Zoro?" Hugh said, his eyes wide. "That's Callie's Zorua friend, right?"

Wes nodded. "Yeah. Team Plasma stole him, and now Callie's really down."

Hugh frowned, a certain darkness crossing his face. His fists were clenched, and his jaw was tense as he spoke. "Team Plasma. . . . Really did that?"

"Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes. She hasn't left her room since we got here a few days ago. She even wants Nurse Joy to deliver all her food to her room for the duration of our stay here in Castelia City," said Wes as they came to a stop outside Callie's room. "But I just found out Team Plasma is in Castelia City — I they just stole some little girl's Eevee a few minutes ago."

"They did what?" said Hugh incredulously.

Wes nodded. "I know, I know – those guys are unbelievable. But I'm hoping that if we can track down these Team Plasma thugs that took that girl's Eevee, we can find Zoro."

Hugh said nothing, instead he just nodded, and Wes knocked pointedly on Callie's door.

"Callie," Wes said. "Open up!"

"Wes, I'm not in the mood," Callie groaned from the other side of the door.

"But I have some news I think you'd be really interested in!" Wes said impatiently from the other side — as much as he wanted Callie to come with him, Wes had promised he'd find this little girl's Eevee.

Callie let out a very irritated grunt, and the door to her room opened, but this time, it wasn't Callie who opened it — it was Oshawott. The small otter pokémon frowned softly as he looked up at Wes and Hugh, looking worriedly over his shoulder to Callie. Wes and Hugh glanced at each other before stepping inside Callie's room — the curtains were drawn, every light was off, and Callie was laying in bed, buried under her covers. All of her pokémon were out of their pokéballs, and each of them sensed their trainer's emotions. Riolu and Growlithe weren't at each other's throats, and instead Growlithe laid behind Callie, trying to comfort her gently, while Riolu sat near feet, watching the door carefully. Shinx was sitting on the floor, and it looked as though he had tried to bring a smile to her face by playing with the small red ball Callie had received from Victini, though it didn't appear as though it worked.

Slowly, Callie sat up, still in her pajamas, hair just as disheveled and unwashed as earlier, her skin pale with deep purple bags under her eyes. There was a plate of food on the beside table, but it was left completely untouched — it didn't appear as though Callie had been sleeping or eating since their arrival.

"What do you want?" Callie groaned as Oshawott climbed up into bed with her.

"Wow, Callie," Hugh said, frowning. "You look. . . . Terrible."

_"Hugh," _Wes sighed.

"Thanks," Callie said shortly. "Is that all you had to tell me?"

"Er — no," said Wes quickly. "I-I didn't have any plans to say _that_. . . . No, I just was out looking for Casteliacones, but, uh, I ran into this girl, who's said her Eevee's been stolen."

"That sucks," Callie said, her face frowning some. "But what does it matter to me?"

"Because she said the people who stole her Eevee said they were with Team Plasma," said Wes.

"Team Plasma?" Callie said, as she became quite still. "Where?"

"Well, that I'm not sure of," said Wes. "I was following some woman named Iris who said she knew where they went. . . . She said there were only two places that come to mind when you think about shady spots in Castelia City. Narrow Alley and some other place, but she never said the name —"

"Narrow Alley and the Castelia Sewers," Callie said, her eyes widening. "Thumb Pier must be it!"

Wes blinked. "How do you know?"

"I grew up here, Wes, remember?" said Callie. "There's an entrance to the Castelia Sewers at Thumb Pier! They must be hiding in the sewers!"

There was a sudden flash in Callie's eye and she quickly stood from her bed and went straight to the bathroom, shutting it behind her. Wes smiled softly — it appeared as though that got her moving.

"Wes," Hugh said softly as the two boys stood there, waiting for Callie to get ready. "This may not be a good idea."

"What? Why?" said Wes as he listened to Callie shuffled around in her bathroom.

"Callie's not thinking straight," said Hugh. "She's angry, she may be reckless — it's not easy, what she's going through."

Wes opened his mouth to say something, but it was at that moment that the bathroom door swung open and Callie emerged, looking marginally more put together; she had changed out of her dirty pajamas, and her disheveled, unwashed hair had been piled into a quick, messy bun. Callie grabbed her glasses from her night stand and put them on as she began returning her pokémon.

"Riolu, Growlithe, Shinx — return!"

She put each pokéball on her belt and then looked to Oshawott, who looked positively giddy to see Callie so lively.

"Oshawott, let's go!" Callie said.

"Osha!" Oshawott said excitedly, jumping onto Callie's shoulder.

Callie made a move for the door, but Wes quickly stopped her.

"Hold on a second," said Wes. "Hugh and I will come with you!"

"No, I don't want your help," Callie said shortly. "You'll just get in my way!"

And with that, Callie pushed by Wes, leaving him and Hugh standing in her darkened room. Wes growled in irritation.

"Callie, wait!" Wes called out.

"We'll be fine!" she called over her shoulder before disappearing.

"Dammit," Wes muttered. "Hugh, we gotta go —"

"Wes, don't go after her," Hugh said. "You don't know how she feels right now. Team Plasma. . . . They stole her best friend. That's a pain that's hard to imagine."

"So?" snapped Wes. "Neither of us know what she's going through, Hugh! She's going to get hurt! She'll get the rest of her pokémon stolen! We've got to go after her."

Hugh frowned softly, shaking his head. "No, _we_ don't. . . . But I will. You may not understand how Callie feels, but I do, Wes. I promise, I'll make sure she's okay. I can talk some sense into her!"

"But, Hugh," Wes said, frowning.

Hugh shook his head. "I'm serious, Wes. I'll follow Callie and give her some back up."

"Fine, but I'm at least going to Thumb Pier with you," Wes said. "I'll stand watch by the entrance and make sure they don't escape."

"Sounds good to me," said Hugh, and with that, the boys took off after Callie.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than others — it was going to be longer, but by the time I was nearly finished, I realized it was better if I split this into two chapters. So, while it sucks that this one isn't as long, chapter thirteen is nearly finished, so I should be able to post it soon. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter — it was fun to write things from Wes's point of view for a change! Let me know what you think! **


	13. Clash in Castelia Sewers!

Chapter Thirteen

_~Callie's POV~_

Callie ran through the crowded streets of Castelia City, Oshawott clinging to her shoulder as they ran. They quickly made their way to Thumb Pier, and Callie ran down the dock and made her way down the stairs to a small platform that went around to the front of the dock, where there was a small entrance to the sewers, closed off by a old metal door. Callie knew several of her classmates who would go to this location after school or on the weekends — she herself had never been because, even in her time, it was common knowledge that the sewers were only a place to go if you were looking for trouble.

Slowly, Callie pushed on the metal door and as it squealed open, Callie and Oshawott stepped inside. It was very dark in the musty sewers, light from the entrance not piercing much more than twenty feet or so into the sewers.

Callie frowned softly. "We can't see much in here, can we?"

"Osha. . . ," Oshawott muttered.

"Oh, I know!" Callie said, drawing a pokéball from her belt. "Shinx, come on out!"

"Shi!"

Shinx appeared in a red flash, looking up at Callie and Oshawott with a smile.

"Alright, Shinx, can you make your fur glow?" Callie said. "I know that when you sense danger, you can make your fur glow — do you think you could do that now?"

"Shi. . . ," Shinx said doubtfully. He tensed up, clenching his eyes, trying his best to summon some bit of light.

For a moment, it didn't seem to be working, but then, after another brief moment, Shinx began glowing quite brilliantly.

"Shinx!" Callie exclaimed as the dark sewers lit up around Shinx. "That's perfect!"

"Shi-shinx!" Shinx said excitedly, opening his eyes wide.

"Osha!"

"Great! Now, let's go find Team Plasma and get Zoro back," Callie said.

As the three of them set off down the steps, Shinx leading the way, Callie looked around cautiously.

"Be careful, you guys. There are a lot of places someone can hide in here," Callie muttered quietly. "Remember, we're looking for Team Plasma. . . . They stole some girl's Eevee. . . . And they can lead us back to Zoro."

"Osha!" Oshawott whispered.

"Shi!" Shinx said with a nod.

The three of them crept along the narrow passage ways in the sewers for a while — even with Shinx's brilliant glisten, it was hard to navigate the underground passage. Thankfully the water levels were lower because of the current season; Callie could only imagine trying to trek their way through the high waters during the spring in comparison to the much dryer season of fall. The smell, however, was just as vile as one would imagine a sewer to smell like. Callie never understood why people would opt to spend time here, and after wandering through it blindly for well over half an hour, she was no where near finding an actual answer.

Finally, after wandering around for what felt like ages, Callie saw a dim light further up ahead. Callie motioned for Shinx to stop glowing, and the light from Shinx's fur vanished. Callie, Shinx, and Oshawott crept slowly towards the light, which was coming from a small room built into the side of the sewer. When they came to the door, Callie motioned for Shinx to stand back, and she slowly peaked her head around the corner, just enough to get a glimpse of the inside. There were two Team Plasma grunts sitting crosslegged on the floor, a man and a woman, and there were several pokéballs laying on the ground between them. In the wall behind them was a rather large, gapping hole, that seemed to be caused by decay and damage to the wall caused by time. Callie could see a patch of grass and a good bit of sunlight fluttering in through the hole in the wall. However, her attention was soon brought back to the two Team Plasma members as they began to converse, both of them sitting and panting heavily, shaking their heads.

"It . . . was all . . . going so well," muttered the woman.

"Yeah, and then you . . . just had to take . . . that brats pokémon," panted the man.

"An Eevee is . . . a great find!" snapped the woman. "Lord Ghetsis would love it, especially with that . . . Zorua that Mara just snagged."

"Zorua," Callie whispered. "They must be taking about Zoro! Let's go!"

Callie, Shinx, and Oshawott quickly ran through the doorway, glaring sharply at the two Team Plasma grunts on the floor.

"You two," snapped Callie. "You're with Team Plasma!"

"Argh — who is she?" said the woman as they two of them scrambled to their feet.

"Could it be that brat Lucas is always complaining about?" said the man.

"Enough chit chat!" snapped Callie. "I know Team Plasma just captured a Zorua — I want you to take me to it now!"

The man and woman paused, looking at Callie with an amused grin before looking back at each other, both bursting out into a fit of laughter.

"This little girl," sniggered the man. "Thinks she can just come and make such demands?"

"Hilarious!" laughed the woman. "As if we would just tell some puny child that information!"

"Well, if you won't tell me willingly, then I'll battle it out of you!" Callie growled. "Shinx, Oshawott, let's go!"

Shinx jumped forward and Oshawott leaped off of Callie's shoulder and landed beside Shinx, both pokémon looking across the room to the two Team Plasma members.

"You two are going to give back all those pokémon you stole," Callie said. "Including that Eevee! And then, you two are going to show me where my Zorua is being kept!"

"Hm, I guess this _is_ the same brat that's been meddling in our affairs," said the man with a smirk. "Lord Ghetsis will love to hear how I defeated her!"

"Oh, let me help!" exclaimed the woman.

Both Team Plasma members drew a pokéball from their belt, and the man released a Garbodor, while the woman released a Scrafty.

"Oh, man," Callie said, looking at the large pokémon before her. "Those are some sizable opponents. . . ."

Callie pulled out her PokéDex and aimed it at the two pokémon.

"Garbodor, the Trash Heap Pokémon and the evolved form of Trubbish. When Garbodor inhales garbage, it becomes part of its body. The fingertips on Garbodor's right hand spray a powerful liquid poison.

"And Scrafty, the Hoodlum Pokémon and the evolved form of Scraggy. Scrafty can use its powerful kicks to smash through concrete blocks. To protect itself, Scrafty can fold its loose skin around its waist."

"So, a Garbodor and Scrafty, eh?" Callie muttered to herself. "What do you think, Oshawott and Shinx? Think you two can handle them?

"Shinx!" Shinx called out with a confident grin.

"Osha!" Oshawott said with a small salut.

"Perfect!" Callie said with a smile.

"You really think those puny pokémon can take on our Garbodor and Scrafty?" laughed the woman.

"I can't wait to put you in your place, girl," sneered the man. "Garbodor, use Body Slam!"

"Dodge it!" Callie called to her pokémon.

Shinx and Oshawott easily dodged out of the way as the man's Garbodor threw itself at them. Garbodor crashed into the ground, and Callie wanted to seize the opportunity.

"Shinx, use Spark!" Callie called out.

"Scrafty, don't let Shinx attack Garbodor! Use High Jump Kick!" directed the woman.

"Oshawott, quickly, use Focus Energy and go straight into Water Gun — protect Shinx from Scrafty!"

Oshawott fired off a super charged Water Gun at Scrafty, knocking it down as it went into motion for a High Jump Kick attack. Shinx began glowing with blue electricity as sparks began flying off him, and Shinx then tackled into Garbodor, shocking the pokémon, causing it to cry out.

"Er — Garbodor, use Clear Smog!"

"Gaaaaar!" Garbodor cried out.

Garbodor took a deep breath and released a stream of white smog from its mouth, and it filled the room. Both Oshawott and Shinx let out a surprise cry, and fell into a coughing fit, causing Shinx to stop its Spark attack, and Oshawott fell to the ground.

"Now, Scrafty, use Brick Break on Oshawott!" the woman ordered.

Scarify's arm began glowing white and it leapt into the air, coming crashing down straight towards Oshawott, who was still coughing.

"Oshawott, you've got to get out of there!" Callie called out.

However, Oshawott was practically immobilized from all his coughing, and he couldn't move out of the way in time. Scrafty brought its glowing arm down across Oshawott, sending him flying across the room.

"Oshawott, no!" Callie exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"Osha. . . . Oshawott," Oshawott grunted as he got to his feet.

"I knew I could count on you," Callie said with a smile.

"Garbodor, use Gunk Shot!" the man ordered.

Garbodor put its hands together, and a silver light started sparking between them. Then the light turned into a black bag of garbage outlined in purple, and Garbodor hurled it at Shinx. Callie had been so caught up in making sure Oshawott was okay, that by the time she noticed, it was too late, and she couldn't call out to Shinx. The black bag exploded on impact as it hit Shinx, sending pieces of glowing purple garage flying. Shinx fell to the ground, fainted.

"No! Shinx!" Callie exclaimed, running forward. She picked up Shinx in her arms, and the small electric-type smiled weakly up at her.

"Shi. . . . Shinx," he said with a faint smile.

"Thank you, Shinx," said Callie as she returned Shinx to his pokéball. "You were great."

"We're not done yet, child!" sneered the woman. "Scrafty, finish Oshawott off with Focus Punch!"

Scrafty leapt towards Oshawott, one of its fists glowing light blue. It reared back its fist, ready to strike Oshawott.

"Oshawott, you've got to protect yourself!" Callie called out.

Oshawott nodded and grabbed the scalchop on its stomach and held it out in front of it. The scalchop began glowing brightly, and a light blue aura appeared around the scalchop. Oshawott swung it to meet Scrafty's fist, and as he did, the aura around the scalchop stretched and hardened behind it, forming into an energy blade.

"What is that?" Callie said, pulling out her PokéDex.

"Razor Shell — this attack allows the user to cut its target with a sharp shell."

"Amazing!" Callie exclaimed. "You learned Razor Shell!"

The two attacks met with great force, but both pokémon were able to hold their ground. Oshawott held his Razor Shell attack, and Scrafty pushed with as much force as he could muster to send Oshawott flying again with its Focus Punch.

"Come on, Oshawott!" Callie called out. "You can do this! I believe in you!"

"Osha . . . wott," Oshawott grunted breathlessly. Then he began pushing on his blade, trying to overpower Scrafty and its Focus Punch. Then, with a final burst of energy, Oshawott heaved forward one last time. "Osha . . . _wott_!"

Oshawott suddenly lurched forward, overpowering Scrafty and its Focus Punch, sending it toppling backwards as Oshawott's Razor Shell made contact with Scrafty. Oshawott hunched over, breathing heavily, his Razor Shell attack fading. However, Oshawott looked up as he panted and smirked ever so slightly as Scrafty tried to lift its head up. But it appeared to be useless, because Scrafty's head fell back to the ground with a dull thud; it had fainted.

"No, Scrafty!" the woman called out. Her Scrafty didn't budge though, and with a sigh, the woman help up its pokéball. "Scrafty, return. . . ."

Scrafty was returned to its pokéball, just leaving Oshawott and Garbodor to battle.

"Your Oshawott is looking awfully tired," called the man. "But my Garbodor is full of energy! Isn't that right, Garbodor?"

_"Gaaaaabodoooor,"_ groaned his Garbodor in agreement.

"Yeah, well, Oshawott and I are far from finished, isn't that right, Oshawott?" said Callie.

However, when she looked towards Oshawott, she saw Oshawott fall forward on one knee, panting heavily.

"Oh, no, Oshawott!" Callie exclaimed. "Stay strong, Oshawott! They can tell us where Zoro is!"

"We'll never tell you, brat," laughed the man. "We're just going to beat you and liberate your pokémon from their awful trainer!"

"I'll never let you!" growled Callie before looking back to Oshawott. "Come on, Oshawott, don't let Zoro down!"

Oshawott slowly began standing, using all his force to get him on his feet.

_"Oshaaaaa. . . . Woooooott!" _Oshawott cried out before he was suddenly enveloped in a bright blue light and began to slowly change forms.

"No way!" Callie exclaimed, grabbing her PokéDex once more. "Oshawott's evolving!"

As quickly as it started, the bright blue light faded, revealing a completely different pokémon in Oshawott's place. It was primarily light blue and had small black ears, a pointed crest at the back of its head, a red nose, and long white whiskers forming tilted V-shapes. Two pointed teeth were visible in the upper jaw when its mouth is open. Its forelimbs had three fingers on each black paw. Around its waist was a large, dark blue, fringed arrangement of fur, with two scalchops on the thighs.

"What is that?" Callie said, her eyes wide.

"Dewott, the Discipline Pokémon, and the evolved form of Oshawott. Through rigid training, Dewott uses the double-scalchop technique to accomplish its fluid swordsmanship."

"Perfect!" Callie exclaimed. "Oshawott evolved!"

"Dew!" Dewott said with a smile.

"Oh, so your Oshawott evolved, hm?" said the man with a smile. "No matter! Garbodor, Gunk Shot again!"

"Dewott, counter with Razor Shell!"

_"Wott!"_

Garbodor raised its hands high above its head, a silver spark forming between its hands. Dewott took off at amazing speeds, crossing his arms in front of his chest and grabbing the two scalchops on its legs using the hand from the opposite side from its body. When it grabbed the scalchops, they both started to glow yellow and a light blue aura appeared around them. The aura then stretched and hardened, forming into two curved blades of energy. Dewott lunged towards Garbodor and attempted to slash it with his Razor Shell attack. However, as Dewott swung though, the auras around its scalchops vanished, and the attack missed, causing Dewott to fall to the ground.

"What happened?" Callie exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Looks like your Dewott hasn't mastered the double-scalchop technique," said the man with a grin. "Lucky for us, I suppose. Now, Garbodor, finish it!"

"Dewott, move it!" Callie cried out.

Garbodor flung its Gunk Shot attack right at Dewott, but Dewott managed to dive out of the way at the last second, avoiding the full force of the attack. However, as the purple garbage bag exploded, several pieces hit Dewott, causing him to cry out in pain.

"But how?" Callie said, her eyes widening. "He dodged the attack!"

"Ha, unfortunately for you, Gunk Shot isn't just that big ol' garbage bag. Those pieces that it explodes into? They're highly poisonous," said the man with a triumphant smile.

"Poisonous? Oh no," Callie gasped, looking to Dewott, who was facing her.

Dewott had a dark purple shadow across his face — he had been severely poisoned by Garbodor's Gunk Shot.

"Dew. . . . Ott," Dewott grunted, standing to his feet, his body trembling.

The man seemed impressed. "Well, my, my, my, seems like Dewott may be finished."

"Er, w-we're not, are we, Dewott?" Callie said.

Dewott, however, wasn't able to muster a smile — maybe he _was_ reaching his limit.

"Garbodor, wrap this up with Venoshock!"

Garbodor nodded and fired multiple globs of green liquid from the pipes on its right hand. Callie called for Dewott to move, but the pokémon was simply too tired. Garbodor was able hit Dewott point-blank with its Venoshock attack, which was double the power since Dewott had been poisoned.

Dewott let out a cry, skidding several feet across the floor towards Callie.

"Dewott, no!" Callie exclaimed, running forward. She lifted Dewott's fainted head in her lap. "Dewott, you've got to get up — you can't be done yet!"

Callie couldn't lose this battle — she had to find Zoro, and they were the only ones that could lead her to him. However, Dewott looked up at his trainer and shook his head, unable to battle. Callie forced a small smile, tears brimming her eyes.

"Well, I-I know you did your best," Callie said. "And look, you evolved!"

"Dew . . . ott," Dewott said breathlessly, forcing a small smile.

"Well, how touching?" the man said with an amused sort of grin. However, the smile quickly vanished, replaced by a rather bored look, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest, his female counterpart doing the same, all the while his Garbodor staring at Callie and Dewott triumphantly.

"Now, liberate your pokémon to us!" said the man, holding his hand out.

"Never," Callie said, holding Dewott close. "You'll never get my pokémon!"

"If you won't hand them over willingly, I'll have no choice but to take them by force!" growled the man. "Garbodor, use Venoshock to free her of her pokémon!"

"Garb!"

Garbodor used Venoshock again, launching multiple globs of bright green liquid towards them. Callie's eyes widened and she quickly pulled Dewott in close.

"Hold on, Dewott!" Callie exclaimed, clenching her eyes shut. "I'll protect you!"

"Simisear, knock it back with Flamethrower!" someone called from behind Callie.

Callie's head shot up just in time to watch as a powerful Flamethrower attack shot over her head, hitting each sludge bomb from Garbodor and knocking them out of the air. Callie quickly turned behind her and saw Hugh standing there. Beside him stood a monkey-like pokémon that was primarily red. Its ears were broad with orange insides, and it had oval eyes and a small black nose. It had a swirled, flame-like tuft on its head, with a small tuft on either side of it.

"What's that pokémon?" Callie muttered, aiming her PokéDex at it.

"Simisear, the Ember Pokémon and the evolved form of Pansear. Similar loves to eat sweets, which sustain the fire that burns inside its body."

"A Simisear, huh?" Callie said as she tucked her PokéDex away. "Interesting — he's done some training since we last saw him. . . ."

"Who's this brat?" the woman said.

"Must be a friend of hers," muttered the man.

"You bet I am!" said Hugh. "Now, you're gonna give us back that Eevee you stole, understood?"

"Oh, and why's that?" said the woman with a cocky grin.

Hugh growled in frustration. "Simisear, knock that Garbodor out with Flamethrower!"

Simisear nodded and shot another powerful Flamethrower attack on Garbodor, who couldn't manage to dodge the attack in time. The Flamethrower attack hit Garbodor full force, sending it flying backwards. Garbodor crashed into the wall and slumped to the floor, unconscious.

"Erm, Garbodor, return," the man growled, returning his pokémon before turning back to his partner. "It's no good, that was my only pokémon."

"And I only brought my Scrafty," the woman muttered. "They're really tough kids."

"Yeah, but whatever," the man muttered. "We got the pokémon we really came for — they can keep the Eevee we lifted off the girl."

The man grabbed a pokéball and tossed it towards Hugh, who caught it.

"We'll be leaving for now," the man muttered.

Callie glared sharply at him and his partner, her jaw clenched. "No, you're not going anywhere until you tell me where my Zorua is!"

The man pulled something from his pocket as his female companion cackled wildly.

"Oh, I wouldn't consider him your pokémon anymore, little girl!" she sang wickedly.

"What?" Callie said with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"

But the woman didn't say another word. Her partner threw a small pellet at the ground, and the moment it hit the concrete floor, a huge cloud of smoke irrupted, filling the room with dark smoke, making it nearly impossible to breath and completely blinding everyone.

"I've got you, Dewott!" Callie exclaimed, holding her pokémon close.

"Er — Tranquill, come on out and use Gust to clear the smoke!" Hugh exclaimed.

_"Tran!"_

There was a great gust of wind, and suddenly the smoke had cleared. Callie and Dewott slowly opened their eyes and peered around the room, Hugh and his pokémon also looking around. He went to the door of the room and glanced around from side to side.

"Tch! They ran away like Patrat!" Hugh growled coming back into the room, shaking his head.

"Hugh?" Callie said slowly. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you and Wes to stay back."

"I know, but Wes told me what happened," said Hugh. Callie's eyes darkened some, and she looked away from Hugh, looking down at the weakened Dewott in her arms.

"They. . . . They took him," Callie said softly. "They took Zoro from me, Hugh. . . ."

"I know," Hugh said. "But going after Team Plasma by yourself was reckless; you've got to be careful, Callie."

"I don't care if it was reckless!" Callie snapped. "They stole my pokémon!"

"That's no excuse to be so careless!" Hugh countered. "You could have gotten the rest of your pokémon stolen!"

Callie frowned, falling silent for just a moment. She looked down at Dewott, her eyes glistening with tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks.

"You. . . . You don't get it, Hugh," Callie said. "You don't understand what it feels like."

Hugh sighed softly and returned his Tranquill and Simisear to their pokéballs before sitting on the ground beside Callie. For a few moments, he didn't say anything.

"You know, Callie," Hugh said suddenly. "A few years ago, when Team Plasma was still trying to rise to power, they wold go around and force people to liberate their pokémon. It didn't matter who it was, or what their pokémon was. . . ."

"Yeah, they suck," Callie said shortly.

"That's one way of saying it," Hugh said with a faint laugh. "I remember, my little sister was only five at the time — I had just given her Purrloin for her birthday. That thing gave me so many problems when I was trying to catch it for her, but the moment Purrloin met my little sister, it loved her. . . . It was mutual, though. She loved that pokémon — she brought Purrloin with her everywhere."

"Your little sister?" Callie echoed, thinking back to the very brief encounter she had had with Hugh's sister the day she left Aspertia City — his sister had run her down and given her two town maps. One was for Hugh, and the other was for Callie to keep.

"I remember her," Callie said with a pleasant smile. "She was adorable."

"Yes, she's the cutest," said Hugh with a smile. However, the smile slowly vanished, gradually turning into a scowl. "She and Purrloin were best of friends, until one day. . . . I had insisted that she train her Purrloin, so I forced her and her Purrloin to come out to Route 19 with me so we could battle; I was using my dad's Trapinch. We were battling when a pair of Team Plasma grunts approached us and started yelling at us for hurting our pokémon. They attacked us with their pokémon, so Purrloin and I battled against them. During the battle, I was knocked out, and Purrloin was hurt, so my little sister had to call it back to its pokéball. . . . But before she could get the pokéball back in her hands, one of the Team Plasma grunts grabbed it and ran off with it. . . . It was my fault that they stole Purrloin."

"Hugh, that's . . . horrible," Callie said, her eyes widening.

Hugh nodded. "It was. It broke my little sister's heart. Seeing her like that, so sad and broken, it made me make a promise — a promise that I would get my little sister's Purrloin back. So I understand what you're feeling, but you've got to think about your pokémon, not just Zoro."

Callie frowned, nodding her head stiffly — Hugh was right. She was being selfish, and she had only been thinking of Zoro. She hadn't been giving her other pokémon the attention and thought they deserved.

"I. . . . I guess you're right," Callie said, looking down at Dewott. "I need to get Dewott to the Pokémon Center."

Hugh nodded. "Right, why don't you take Dewott and your other pokémon back to the Pokémon Center? I'll meet you and Wes there later."

"Aren't you coming?" said Callie curiously.

Hugh shook his head. "No, I'm going to go farther inside! There might be more in there!"

"I don't think that's necessary, you two," said a voice from the hall.

Callie and Hugh both turned towards the sound of the voice and watched as a tall, lanky man appeared in the doorway of the small room. He had wild brown hair and bright green eyes, and wore a green shirt and red scarf, paired nicely with red and green striped pants. The man leaned against the doorframe, smiling knowingly.

Hugh and Callie stared at the man for a moment — who in the world was he? However, Hugh didn't seem to be nearly as confused as Callie.

"Could you be the Castelia Gym Leader?" said Hugh. "Are you Burgh?"

The man let out a deep chuckle and clapped his hands together once, smiling brightly. "Yessirr; one and the same. I am Burgh, and there was no one suspicious beyond here."

"Is that . . . so?" Hugh said. Callie could see something about that statement had disappointed Hugh slightly — he definitely held a grudge against Team Plasma, that's for sure..

"Yes indeed," said Burgh. "There was a young girl just outside my gym who had her Eevee stolen from her, so I came here to investigate."

"I know," said Hugh. "I have her Eevee right here."

Hugh motioned to the pokéball in his hand, and Burgh looked slightly surprised. However, he then gently smiled, nodding some.

"Oh, perfect — let's hurry up and get it back to her," said Burgh softly. "Then I can resume my art."

"Your art?" said Callie, blinking. "You're an artist on top of the Castelia City Gym Leader?"

"Why, of course!" said Burgh with a faint smile. "I use the battles as inspiration for my art. Though, I must admit, my inspiration lately has been dwindling, and I'm finding myself in a bit of a slump — trainer's these days. . . . They aren't what they used to be."

Callie looked at Burgh curiously — what kind of Gym leader was he?

"Well, you two can go back together," said Hugh, handing Burgh the pokéball containing Eevee. "I'm staying here to look for Team Plasma."

Burgh frowned. "I'm concerned about Team Plasma as well. . . . But it's not safe for you two to be down here by yourselves. I promise you, Team Plasma isn't anywhere to be found in the sewers," said Burgh.

Hugh frowned and sighed, nodding slowly. "Yeah, I. . . . I guess you're right.

"Great! We've recovered the Eevee!" Burgh said excitedly. "However, more importantly, shall we leave this place? For some reason, the sewer is bugging me," Burgh said, glancing around nervously.

"You can go ahead and leave," said Hugh. "I'll help Callie get Dewott to the Pokémon Center."

"Okay, taa-taa!" sang Burgh. "I hope to see you trainers at my gym soon!"

And just as quickly as he had appeared, Burgh took off, leaving the sewers in a bit of a hurry.

Hugh shook his head and looked back to Callie and Dewott, who were still sitting on the floor.

"Alright, let's get you all back to the Pokémon Center," Hugh muttered.

"I've got to get Dewott a Pecha Berry," Callie said quickly, reaching into her bag. "He was poisoned by Garbodor — I should have done this sooner."

"You there! That was an excellent demonstration of battling," said another unknown voice, this one coming from the direction of the sizable hole in the wall.

Callie and Hugh both froze and turned, watching as a man with blonde hair with glasses stepped in through the hole. He appeared to be some sort of researcher — he wore black slacks and a long white coat, and he even had a clipboard held tightly in his hand.

"The way you brought out the power of your pokémon against an opponent like Team Plasma. . . . Astounding. Simply astounding. Interesting as well," the man continued.

"Um, I'm sorry, but. . . . Who are you?" Callie said with wide eyes.

The man stopped talking, staring at Callie for a brief moment. His eyes then wandered to Dewott, who was laying weakly on the ground in Callie lap. The researcher then walked over to Callie and Dewott and knelt down before them, placing a hand on Dewott's forehead.

"Mm. . . . I see. . . . Your Dewott's been badly poisoned," the man muttered.

"I know," said Callie quickly. "I was just about to give him a Pecha Berry."

The man shook his head. "I'm afraid a Pecha Berry won't help much — your Dewott is severely poisoned, It's going to need something stronger than a Pecha Berry."

Callie frowned. "Stronger than a Pecha Berry?"

"I don't have an antidote on me," Hugh said, his eyes widening.

"Maybe not, but I believe I may have something that should do the trick," the man muttered, reaching into his white lab coat. He fished around for only a second before pulling a small vial out from his coat. He pulled the small cork out of the vial.

"Hold Dewott's mouth open," he said.

Callie nodded quickly, doing exactly as she was told, and the man gently tilted the vial up, pouring some of the potion inside into Dewott's mouth. Dewott flinched at the taste, but within seconds, his eyes brightened, and the dark purple shadow on his face vanished.

"Dew?" Dewott said, looking around as he sat up, suddenly full of energy — the potion was super effective!

"Oh, Dewott!" Callie exclaimed, hugging her pokémon. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Dewott!" Dewott said happily.

The man watched the two for a moment before putting the cork back in the vial and holding it out to Callie.

"Here — you can use the rest of this on your Shinx," he said.

Callie stared at him quizzically, taking the vial.

"Th-thank you," Callie said slowly.

The man nodded and slowly headed for the door.

"Wait," Hugh said quickly. "Who are you?"

The man paused in the doorway, glancing over his shoulder. "I don't see why that matters," he said, and for the first time since he magically appeared, the man smiled. However, it was a rather unsettling smile to Callie — something didn't seem right. . . .

"We want to say thank you," said Hugh. "Properly."

The man laughed softly, shaking his head. "Oh, there's no needs for thanks — in all reality, I'm the one who should be thanking you."

"Thanking us?" Callie echoed. "Thanking us for what?"

"Why, by giving me exactly what I came for," said the man, giving Callie an odd sort of look.

Then, before Callie or Hugh could say anything, the man suddenly vanished, leaving Callie, Dewott, and Hugh alone in the small room.

"That was . . . odd," said Hugh, staring at the spot where the odd researcher had just been standing. Then, shaking his head as if he had been distracted by thought, Hugh looked back to Callie. "Well, you heard that guy — let's give that potion to Shinx!"

Soon enough, Callie had given the remains of the potion to Shinx, and the magnificent potion cured him entirely, restoring him back to full health. Callie and Hugh then began to make their way out of the sewer, Dewott following behind them, Shinx leading the way, his fur shining brightly. After a few long moments, Callie and Hugh made their way out of the Castelia Sewers with Dewott and Shinx. They took a few steps out of the sewers and onto the concrete platform. Callie stared out across the ocean water that lapped up against the platform they stood on and across the body of water, all the way to the horizon, where the sun was just beginning to set.

Callie stood there for a moment, unmoving, while Hugh, Dewott, and Shinx continued walking. However, they didn't make it too much further ahead before Dewott realized his trainer was absent. The water-type pokémon paused and turned, walking back towards his trainer.

"Dewott?" Hugh said curiously, turning back. That was when he saw Callie staring out across the water, obviously lost in thought. Hugh motioned for Shinx to follow him, and he walked back towards Callie and Dewott.

"What are you thinking about?" Hugh said softly.

"It's just weird," Callie said simply. "It feels so strange. . . . I've known Zoro almost my whole life, y'know? We've done everything together. . . . I mean, when we started traveling together, I was so scared. I've never done anything like this before; I've never left home! But the only reason I knew I'd be okay was because I had Zoro with me. I knew that, no matter what, Zoro would always be there — I'd never be alone. Now that Zoro's gone. . . . I don't have that."

"You're wrong about that," said Hugh. "Look around you right now."

Callie looked to Hugh, then to Shinx, and then finally to Dewott, who stood right beside her, smiling brightly up at his trainer.

"Zoro may have been all you had for a long time, but now you have plenty of other pokémon. . . . And you have me and Wes," Hugh said with a smile. "I don't think you'll ever be alone again, Callie."

Callie's lips curved upwards into a grin, and she knelt down, looking proudly between Dewott and Shinx.

"I guess you're right, Hugh," Callie said with a small smile. "I guess I do have some pretty great pokémon . . . and friends."

Hugh smiled softly and a shout came from behind him.

_"Hey! Hugh! Callie! There you are!"_

Callie and Hugh looked in the direction of the voice and saw Wes running straight towards them.

"Are you two alright?" said Wes as he got closer. He ran straight past Hugh and went directly to Callie, kneeling down in front of her. "Are you okay? Do you know how reckless you were? You and your pokémon could have been seriously hurt! You can't always be so reckless, Callie! Hugh and I can't always protect you, you have to — wait. . . . You're smiling?" Wes said in disbelief as he stopped ranting long enough to realize what it was that he was actually seeing. He then looked to Dewott, who smiled broadly at him.

"No way!" Wes exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Oshawott evolved into Dewott! Amazing!"

"Dewott-ott-ott!" Dewott said proudly.

Callie laughed softly and then looked to Wes, smiling sheepishly.

"I think you were right, Wes," Callie said suddenly, catching Wes off guard. "I was being reckless today, running off by myself. . . . And I haven't been exactly fair to you or my pokémon by staying locked up in my room. I've been feeling really alone since Zoro was taken, but I'm beginning to realize, I'm not really alone at all. . . . I have you and Hugh, and all my pokémon too."

Wes smiled softly, nodding. "I'm glad you're finally realizing it," Wes said.

He stood to his feet and extended a hand towards Callie. She paused for a second, looking at Wes's hand — Zoro was still gone, and she wasn't any closer to finding him, but for some reason, in this moment, she felt. . . . Better. Not great by any means, and definitely not happy, but for the first time in several days, Callie felt like the dark cloud hanging over head was beginning to let a little bit of light shine through.

Smiling softly, she took Wes's hand and stood, and he smiled softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before looking between his two friends.

"So, do you two want to go grab something to eat?" Wes said.

Callie nodded. "Absolutely! But you know what I really want?"

"Hm?"

"A Casteliacone!" Callie said, smiling. "You mentioned them earlier, and I can't stop thinking about it."

"Oh, a Casteliacone?" said Hugh, his eyes widening. "That sounds amazing! I want one!"

Wes grinned, happy to see Callie seemingly back to herself. "Okay, well, let's all go get one then! I know a great place!"

And so the three friends set off, Dewott and Shinx tagging along with them. Hugh and Callie told Wes all about the battle they had had with Team Plasma in the sewers, and how they had recovered the Eevee and met the Gym Leader, Burgh. However, neither of them mentioned the strange man who had appeared after Burgh left and helped Callie's pokémon — they both agreed that they didn't want to worry Wes with the encounter. The three trainers made their way to Mode Street, and Wes led them towards the Casteliacone stand he had went to earlier that day.

"I've been told these are the best Casteliacones in the city," said Wes as they walked. "But there wasn't anyone here earlier, so it looks like we'll be able to get as many Casteliacones as we want."

"I can't wait!" said Callie excitedly.

"Me either," said Hugh. "I've never had one."

"Well, we're almost there," said Wes. "It should be right around — oh my Arceus."

The three friends and their pokémon had made it to the Casteliacone stand, but unlike earlier that day when Wes went, the line at the stand was ridiculously long, with at least two dozen people standing in line, all chatting very excitedly.

"What?!" Hugh exclaimed, his jaw going slack. "Wes! I thought you said this place wasn't busy!"

"It wasn't earlier!" said Wes quickly. "I-I don't know what happened!"

Wes looked at the line and saw, standing at the very front of the line, just about to order, was Iris, the woman from earlier. Wes let out a growl of irritation — she had just abandoned him, left without him, and didn't even help recover the girl's Eevee.

Immediately, Wes forgot what he had come there for, and he marched straight towards Iris, who was just beginning to place her order with the shop keeper. Callie, Hugh, Dewott, and Shinx all hurried after him.

"Iris!" Wes snapped, causing several people in line to jump, obviously startled — including Iris herself.

The young woman with violet hair turned around and stared at Wes with wide eyes. However, once she realized who he was, a large smile spread across her face. Callie had no idea who this woman was, but Hugh seemed to be completely awestruck, staring at the woman with wide, saucer-like eyes, his mouth agape.

"Oh, you're the boy from earlier!" she exclaimed happily. "Er — Wes is your name, right?"

"Yeah, that's my name," Wes snapped. "Look, I've got a few things to say to you —"

"Did you find that girl's Eevee?" said Iris, completely obvious to Wes's anger.

Wes paused, looking confused for just a moment. "Hm? O-oh, er, yeah, m-my friends did."

"Your friends?" Iris echoed, looking at Callie and Hugh curiously. When she saw them, her eyes widened and she clapped happily.

"Oh, these are your friends?" said Iris excitedly. "They're so cute!"

"Erm, Wes," said Callie slowly. "Who's this?"

"Her name is Iris," Wes muttered, rolling his eyes.

Hugh, who up until now had been too awestruck to say anything, finally spoke. "How do you not know who that is?"

"What?" said Callie with a raised eyebrow. "Is she famous?"

_"'Is she famous?'"_ Hugh screeched.

Iris laughed softly, shaking her head. "Oh, I'm no one important," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. She then turned back to the shop keeper of the Casteliacone stand, smiling wildly. "I'll take one Casteliacone, please! And one for each of my friends and their pokémon!"

"What?" Callie and Wes said with wide eyes.

Soon enough, Callie, Wes, and Hugh were sitting down at the picnic tables near the stand, each of them with all their pokémon out of their pokéballs so they could all enjoy the Casteliacones together.

"Thanks again, Iris," Wes said. "You didn't have to buy us all Casteliacones."

"Of course I did," said Iris. "You and your friends did a great thing today, helping that little girl get her Eevee back. Besides, if it weren't for you, I would have never known about this amazing Casteliacone stand!"

Iris finished off the rest of her Casteliacone with a matter of bites before smiling happily to the trio of friends and their pokémon.

"Alrighty, well, I'm off!" said Iris happily. "It was great to meet you, Wes! And you too, Callie and Hugh!"

"Bye, Iris!" Wes called.

"Great meeting you!" Callie said happily.

"B-bye, I-Iris," Hugh stammered, back to being starstruck.

Wes shook his head at Hugh, looking back to the line outside the Casteliacone stand.

"I don't get it," Wes muttered. "There was no one here earlier. . . . The shopkeeper even said that business had been really bad lately — what could have changed?"

"Well, what did you expect would happen when the Unova Pokémon Champion was standing in line?" said Hugh.

"The Pokémon Champion?" Wes exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Where?"

Callie paused for a second, thinking back to the encounter she had had with Alder so long ago at the beginning of her journey.

_"I _was_ the Champion. I lost that title to a young, very powerful trainer named Iris about two years ago."_

"That's Iris," said Callie, her eyes widening. "She's the Unova Pokémon Champion?"

"What?" said Wes. "No way! How did I not recognize her?"

"I don't know — everyone knows her!" said Hugh.

Wes let out a loud groan, shaking his head. "I can't believe it! I met the Unova Pokémon Champion, and I didn't even get a picture!"

"You met the Unova Pokémon Champion and didn't even recognize her," Hugh said, shaking his head. "What a way to waste a prime opportunity to challenge her to a battle!"

"Challenge her to a battle? Iris?" Wes said, laughing in disbelief. "You're crazy! You couldn't beat Iris!"

"Oh yeah?" Hugh said, frowning. "I bet I could!"

"You can't even beat me," countered Wes. "You have no chance of beating Iris."

"I can totally beat you!" Hugh snapped. "I'll prove it! Right here, right now — I've gotten stronger, Wes!"

"We'll just see about that," said Wes with a grin. "You're on!"

Callie sat back with her pokémon, smiling softly as she watched the two boys argue and get ready to battle. As much as Zoro's absence was hurting her, perhaps Hugh was right — maybe her pokémon and her friends would make things a bit easier.

_~Meanwhile, back at Team Plasma Headquarters~_

"So, I hear that girl meddled with our plans in Castelia City," Lord Ghetsis said darkly as he sat behind the desk in his office, staring across the room at Colress, who stood diligently by the door.

"That is correct," said Colress. "I watched her battle our men."

"And you let her win?" sneered Lord Ghetsis in disbelief. "We're supposed to be trying to stop her from interfering, not supervising our failures from the sidelines!"

"I wasn't watching for fun," said Colress with an amused sort of grin. "I was studying her."

"Studying her?" Lord Ghetsis said. "What for?"

"I wanted to see how she was with her pokémon," said Colress. "That way I could get an idea for the kind of bond she has with her pokémon."

"Why does any of that matter?" Lord Ghetsis said, sounding bored.

"It allows me to figure out the best way to stop her," said Colress. "After all, didn't you give me her Zorua so I could discourage her from interfering?"

"Yes, but it seems as though you're using this as an opportunity to sit on the sidelines and do nothing," Lord Ghetsis said bitterly.

Colress chuckled and shook his head. "No, I can assure you, Lord Ghetsis, that is surely not the case. In fact, I'm going to begin the plan tonight."

"You have a plan?" said Lord Ghetsis. "Already?"

Colress smiled to himself and nodded. "Of course."

"What is it, if you don't mind me asking?"

Colress's grin twitched ever so slightly, turning into a slightly disturbed looking sort of grin.

"Why, I'm going to simply break her spirit."

And with that, Colress left Lord Ghetsis office, his coat swirling behind him. Colress strolled down the hallway for a few moments, taking a few turns here and there, and, after a few minutes, Colress arrived in his lab — it was a rather normal looking lab, with several tables containing a variety of experiments, all in different stages of completion. Most notably, however, was a large machine that took up one side of the room. He reached into his lab coat and pulled out a small capsule — it was black and yellow; the Ultra Ball. Colress pressed the small button on the capsule, and the Ultra Ball opened, releasing the pokémon that was kept inside.

Appearing before Colress was Zoro. The small Zorua blinked slowly and looked around frantically — it was the first time he had been released from his pokéball since he had been captured at Liberty Garden. Zoro's eyes fell on Colress, and immediately he narrowed his eyes as the researcher, growling lowly.

"Now, your name is Zoro, isn't it?" said Colress curiously. However, Zoro said nothing, continuing to stare darkly at the researcher. Colress took Zoro's silence as an answer and nodded his head slowly. "I see. . . . Well, Zoro, how do you feel about teaming up with me, eh?"

Colress stretched a hand out towards Zoro, as if to stroke his fur. However, Zoro quickly backed away from Colress's hand, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Zor!" Zoro growled, snapping at Colress's hand.

Colress sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Oh, no, no, no — this behavior simply won't do."

Colress reached forward and managed grabbed Zoro by the scruff of his neck, lifting him into the air. Zoro cried and squirmed, trying to get out of his grip, but Colress wasn't the least bit bothered by this behavior. Instead, he grabbed a small device from the table beside him — it was a small metal piece. Colress placed the device on Zoro's forehead, and the small device sunk itself partially into his forehead.

"Zo, zor!" Zoro struggled uncomfortably in Colress's grasp, trying to break free.

In his struggle, Zoro turned his head and bit Colress's wrist, startling him and causing Colress to let go of his grip on Zoro.

"Argh!" Colress shouted as Zoro landed back on the table, glaring sharply up at Colress — the device he had planted on Zoro had concealed itself completely under his fur.

"So, you're going to be difficult, aren't you?" Colress said quietly to Zoro.

Zoro glared sharply at Colress and opened his mouth, a light purple orb surrounded in black and purple circles appears inside it. He then fired a beam of black and purple circles from the orb inside his mouth at Colress. Colress's eyes widened and he quickly ducked, the attack going straight over his head. Zoro ceased the attack when he saw Colress had managed to duck, obviously disappointed his attack missed.

"My, my, my, was that Dark Pulse?" said Colress with an amused sort of grin as he straightened up. "Very interesting — perhaps Mara was right in catching you. You're proving to be quite powerful."

"Zor," Zoro snapped, his look not softening at all.

Colress smiled and pulled a small remote from his pocket. "Well, let's see what that device I put on your head can do for you. . . ."

He pressed one of the many buttons on the remote, and suddenly, Zoro let out a cry, collapsing on the table. Colress smiled as Zoro cried out in pain, struggling to stand.

"You see, Zoro, that device I put on you helps resonate electromagnetic waves generated by that machine over there," Colress said, motioning to the large structure behind him. "The EM waves will help increase your power tenfold — but it will also leave you under my control."

"Z-zor," Zoro grunted, managing to push himself to his feet.

However, the pain was too great, and Zoro fell back to the ground. Zoro managed to lift his head up and continued to glare at Colress. Then, something odd happened — Zoro's green-blue eyes suddenly became a dark, glowing red color, and he became suddenly quite vicious.

"Perfect," Colress said with a smile. "Zoro, if you wouldn't mind — use Dark Pulse for me once more. This time, aim it at the painting over there on the wall."

_"Zor!" _Zoro sneered viciously.

He then opened his mouth, a light purple orb forming in his mouth, and once again he released his Dark Pulse attack, aiming straight for the painting as he was instructed. This Dark Pulse attack was much more powerful, and the moment it made contact with the painting, the artwork burst into dozens of pieces, which all fluttered to the ground, landing in a small pile.

"My, my — very nice," said Colress with a smile. "Don't you like how powerful you are, Zoro?"

_"Zor — zor! Zorua!" _Zoro growled, his eyes still glowing as he continued to stare down Colress with an immense amount of hatred.

A small part of Zoro's brain was telling him to attack Colress — attack him, break out of this hideout, and find Callie. He wanted to get back to Callie. He missed her so much. However, as much as Zoro wanted to attack Colress, he couldn't. The other, more powerful part of his brain was telling him to obey Colress, not to attack him. As much as Zoro wanted to, he couldn't convince himself to.

And he was angry. So uncontrollably, unexplainably angry. Zoro had no idea what was fueling his rage, all he knew was that he had an immense amount of anger inside him. Part of it was directed towards Colress, naturally, but not all of it. And there was no way he could control it. If only Callie were around; she could calm him, Zoro knew that. Callie would smile softly and pick Zoro up, holding him just the way he liked. Or she'd offer to take him for a walk, or maybe make him his favorite food (Pecha berries diced up with cinnamon dusted on top).

The more Zoro thought about Callie, the calmer he felt. Realizing this, Zoro kept revisiting memories of Callie.

The day he first met Callie, when she was only a child, lost and alone in Castelia City. He thought about how happy she was when he brought her home, or the small smile she wore when she discovered that Zoro was actually a pokémon. . . . The days they spent hiding in the alleyways of Castelia City, or when Callie and Zoro would take the risk of going to retrieving Casteliacone on a hot summer day. . . . Or when Celebi brought the two of them back in time, how scared and unsure of everything Callie had been until she met Oshawott. . . .

Before Zoro knew it, he wasn't angry anymore. He was very calm. His eyes had stopped glowing and were back to the same green-blue color. He was a bit dazed — why had he been so angry? What provoked it?

Colress, however, frowned. "You broke my hold on you, huh?" He sighed heavily, shaking his head. "No matter — we'll just have to use more power than originally thought." He turned a dial on his remote and pressed the same button as before.

_"Zoooor!" _Zoro cried out, falling to the ground, his eyes clenched shut. Then, his cries stopped, and when he opened his eyes, Colress was pleased to find that they were glowing red once again. Zoro stood to his feet and growled lowly at Colress, and once again, his anger was startling.

"Perfect," Colress muttered. "Now, Zoro, use Dark Pulse once more!"

_"Z-zor," _Zoro grunted, looking very pained. However, instead of going into a Dark Pulse attack, Zoro was fighting the urge — he was trying to resist every muscle in his body telling him to obey. He couldn't let Colress take control. He had to stay calm. He had to think of Callie.

Her laugh.

Her smile.

How she would tuck him into bed at night.

The way her eyes glistened so intently whenever she was in a battle.

Zoro felt himself calming down, his angry subsiding. However, the pain was beginning to become too much to bear, and before Zoro knew what was happening, he collapsed onto the table, unconscious.

Colress let out a disappointed _'tch'_ and shook his head, looking over Zoro's fainted form.

"Well, Zoro, it looks like we've got quite a bit of work to do," Colress muttered, frowning a bit to himself.

Colress then proceeded to continue this process for several more hours — once Zoro woke up, Colress once again attempted to put him under his control. It would work for a few moments, but eventually, Zoro would manage to force himself back to normal. Normally this would result in him losing consciousness for nearly an hour as well. It was a very long a tedious process, and Colress wasn't seeing the results he was hoping for — he was worried that if he turned up the electromagnetic waves too much more, it would kill Zoro. Of course, it wasn't that he was worried about a pokémon dying — he had already lost several test subjects during his experiments. However, without Zoro, he knew he couldn't truly break Callie's spirit like he was hoping.

_"Z-zor. . . . Zorua,"_ Zoro said faintly as he broke yet another one of Colress's attempt to control him. Zoro collapsed again, laying limply on the table.

Colress sighed to himself and put down the remote — Zoro couldn't take anymore of this today. But why in the world was he so strong-willed? How was he breaking his mind control? Colress had taken control of countless other pokémon, plenty of them much stronger than Zoro — a Dragonite, Haxorus, Beartic — and they had all been successful. But this tiny Zorua was stumping him. How in the world was this Zorua strong enough to fight his previously considered 'perfect' machine?

"What is it that makes you special?" Colress said quietly to himself as he looked over Zoro. "I need to figure out some way to control you if I'm ever going to stop Callie. . . ."

Zoro suddenly shifted ever so slightly — his ears perked up, and even with his eyes closed, he seemed somewhat alert. However, just as suddenly as it happened, it stopped, but no matter how small the movement was, Colress noticed it and paused, staring at the small pokémon — was Zoro waking up? Corliss leaned forward, inspecting the pokémon. Sure enough, Zoro was definitely unconscious.

However, Colress was troubled. Why would Zoro seem so alert all of sudden if he was unconscious. All he had done was say her name. . . .

Suddenly Colress's eyes widened, a spark of wonder in his eyes. Could it be that Zoro, even when seemingly unconscious, was responding to her name? Was their bond really that deep?

Colress shook his head — there was no way he could really be responding to just the sound of her name. . . . Right?

Colress knew that the only way to find out was to at least try it. However, before he got the chance, the door to Colress's lab opened, and Lord Ghetsis walked in.

"So," Lord Ghetsis said. "How's it going with the Zorua?"

Colress frowned. "It hasn't been easy. . . . That girl. . . . Callie, she" — he glanced at Zoro as he spoke. He saw the slight twitch of his ear — "she has a very strong bond with this Zorua," he said, looking back towards Lord Ghetsis.

"So what does that mean? Will you be able to control him?" said Lord Ghetsis.

"Yes, of course," said Colress. "It's just going to take much longer than I thought — Zorua is able to break my control. I can only assume it's something to do with his bond with Callie."

Once again, Zoro twitched ever so slightly. This couldn't be a coincidence.

"I don't want to hear her name!" Lord Ghetsis snapped. "I don't want that child being a problem anymore — handle this!"

"It's being handled, sir," said Colress. "No matter what — I will break them both."

"Good," Lord Ghetsis said with a huff. "I don't her interfering with our plans. That book of her . . . I've been reading it over. I must say, I'm very excited for a take over."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure," said Colress absentmindedly — he couldn't help but be distracted.

"Well, I'll leave you to your experiments then," said Lord Ghetsis with a wave of his hand. He headed towards the door, and just as he was about to walk through the doorway, he paused and looked at Colress over his shoulder. "Remember, Colress — I want results."

Then, Lord Ghetsis left before Colress could say anything. The researcher sighed and looked towards Zoro.

"So. . . . You _do_ have an incredible bond," Colress muttered. He then turned the knob on his remote and looked at Zoro. "That's quite all right. . . . You know the saying; the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

Colress smiled to himself and reached down, patting Zoro on the head. The small, fox-like pokémon slowly opened his eyes, looking up at Colress wearily.

"Ah, you're awake," Colress said with a smile. He then grabbed the remote, still smiling ever so slightly. "Good — we have more work to do."


	14. Battling Bug-Types!

Chapter Fourteen

A few days had passed since the incident at the Castelia Sewers. Callie was becoming more and more like herself, and she, Wes, and Hugh had gone on several adventures around Castelia City. The three of them went to Castelia Park, where Wes managed to catch not only a Purrloin, but he also added a Magby to his team. Hugh was also fortunate in the pokémon department, and he was able to add a Petilil to his team. Callie, on the other hand, hadn't been as lucky as her friends, though it wasn't for lack of trying — she had attempted to catch a Buneary and a Skitty, and she had even chased down an Eevee, but each attempt to catch a pokémon resulted in failure, which didn't do much to improve her mood.

On the morning of their eighth day in Castelia City, Callie had given up any hopes of catching a new pokémon. She was ready for something else, but she wasn't sure what.

"So, what do you guys want to do today?" said Wes as they sat down for breakfast.

"Why don't we try to go back to Castelia Park?" suggested Hugh. "Callie never got to catch a pokémon."

"It's fine, Hugh, really," Callie said quickly. "I'd rather not try to catch a pokémon — I haven't been very lucky in that area lately."

"That doesn't mean you can just give up!" said Hugh. "You've got to keep trying!"

_"Hugh,"_ Callie sighed.

"Okay, so I think it's safe to say no to Castelia Park," Wes said quickly, trying to avoid the potential fight that was unfolding before him.

Hugh looked away from Callie and towards Wes. "So how about we go over the Skyarrow Bridge?" Hugh said with a shrug. "I heard they just opened it to the public again — it's been shut down for months while they were conducting some sort of inspection."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea," said Wes.

"I don't really want to do any traveling right now," Callie said — she had been feeling quite homesick since Zoro was taken, and being in Castelia City was rather comforting to her. "I was hoping we could stick around Castelia City just for a little while longer — maybe we could go to the gym?"

"Oh yeah, the gym!" said Hugh excitedly.

"Oh yeah, I completely forgot about the Castelia Gym," said Wes with a nod.

"And we met the Gym Leader Burgh the other day in the sewers, remember, Callie?" said Hugh.

Callie nodded. "Yeah, I do! So, what do you say? Want to go see if Burgh can battle us?"

"Yeah, I think that's a great idea!" Hugh said eagerly. "I'm ready for my third badge already!"

Wes smiled softly, nodding along. "You know, you two may be right. I'm definitely ready for a gym battle with Burgh! He's a bug-type gym leader, and with my fire-type pokémon and Rufflet, I'll definitely get my badge!"

"He's a bug-type trainer, huh?" Callie said, frowning softly — bug-type pokémon had always given her the heebie-jeebies.

"Don't worry, Callie," Hugh said upon seeing Callie's expression — he must have assumed she was nervous about the battle. "You have Growlithe, you'll be fine!"

"I guess you're right," Callie said with a smile. "Growlithe is pretty tough, isn't he?"

Wes nodded. "That's right! He has a type-advantage, and he loves to battle! So you should be just fine!"

Callie smiled, feeling fairly more confident, and Hugh looked between her and Wes expectantly.

"Well, what are we doing just sitting around here?" said Hugh. "Let's get going!"

With that, the three friends set off towards Castelia City Gym. After spending a few days exploring the city, and with the help of Callie's expertise of the city, the boys no longer needed to use their town maps to help them navigate through the city. So, naturally, they were able to make it to the Castelia City Gym with much ease.

Callie stared at the building with wide eyes — it was far better than the building Callie had seen many times from the year she was from. This Castelia Gym was nothing like the travesty that it was in her time. The Gym was a lilac building with huge glass windows on the walls and room, with a plant-like pattern above the front door. Leading to the front door were camouflage tiles. Slowly, the three of them walked across the tiles and the doors slid open, revealing the inside of the gym. The inside was a botanical garden with a path for trainers to walk on. Bug pokémon such as Sewaddle and Venepide were living in the garden, and Callie watched as they scuttled out of sight, hiding in the many trees and bushes that filled the place.

"Hello?" Wes called out.

"Is anyone here?" Hugh said.

"Oh, what is that I hear? Are those the voices of challengers?" called a voice from seemingly no where.

Callie, Wes, and Hugh all paused and turned, watching and Burgh suddenly swung down from a tree, landing gracefully on the ground before them.

"Are you Burgh?" said Wes curiously.

"Yes, that would be me," said Burgh.

He wore a soft smile, though something told Callie that something about Burgh was off — he seemed even more deflated than the last time they had met. Burgh looked from Wes, to Hugh, and then to Callie, his smile widening someone when he laid eyes on the latter two.

"Oh, it's my friend from the sewers," Burgh said softly, directing it towards Callie. "You finally came to my gym."

"Of course we came," said Callie.

"I just realized, I never learned your name, did I?" said Burgh.

"I'm Callie," Callie said.

"Ah, yes, what a wonderful name," said Burgh. Then he looked to Hugh and Wes. "And are these your friends?"

Callie nodded. "This is Wes," she said, motioning to Wes.

"It's great to meet you," said Wes.

"Likewise," Burgh said before looking back to Callie expectantly.

Callie stood there for a moment, wondering why Burgh hadn't said anything to Hugh yet. However, after a few more moments of silence, she decided to force the conversation between the two.

"And, you already met Hugh," said Callie.

Burgh looked quite curiously between the two. "I have?"

_"What?"_ Hugh nearly shouted. "How do you not remember me? I was there in the sewers with Callie! I helped her beat Team Plasma! _I threw you the pokéball!_"

Burgh seemed to be in great thought for just a moment. Then, with a great sigh, Burgh shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but it doesn't seem to ring a bell," Burgh said with a shrug.

_"What?" _Hugh groaned.

Callie and Wes both put the sulking Hugh behind them, standing between him and Burgh.

"So, tell me — why have you all come to the gym today?" said Burgh curiously.

"Well, sir, we were hoping for a gym battle," said Wes with a smile. "You see, we all want to battle you!"

Burgh smiled softly and shook his head, laughing ever so softly. "Ah, I see. . . . Three wonderful friends, traveling together, succeeding together. . . . How sweet? However, I'm afraid you've all come to the gym at a bad time. You see, I've lost all my inspiration — to design, to paint. . . . To battle."

"But I thought you said battles were your inspiration?" Callie said curiously.

"They usually are, yes, but lately they've been so. . . . Predictable, so bland, so . . . flat," said Burgh with a sigh.

"What are you saying? Pokémon battles aren't predictable!" said Wes. "You never know what's going to happen — that's what makes them so exciting!"

Burgh shook his head. "That's not true in the slightest. The moment I begin a battle, I know what kind of trainer I'm up against, and I know whether or not I'll win."

"There's no way you could know something like that," said Hugh.

"Well, I shouldn't, should I? But the challengers at the Castelia Gym lately have been less than spectacular. Nothing really captures my attention anymore. I can tell whether or not my opponent is really worth the effort within moments. I need someone who will really liven up the battlefield, someone with a certain essence. . . ."

"Well, then it should be a good thing we're here," said Wes. "We all want to battle you!"

"But why should I bother?" said Burgh. "They won't entertain me — it's just a waste of time."

"How can you say that?" said Hugh, his eyes widening.

"Come on, Burgh," said Callie. "Battle one of us — just one. If we don't spark any inspiration, we'll leave and go somewhere else for a badge. But if we give you even the slightest bit of inspiration, you've got to battle all of us, deal?"

"Hm, I only have to battle one of you then?" said Burgh. "And if I beat one of you, I don't have to battle the others?"

"Exactly," said Callie.

Wes and Hugh nodded in agreement, apparently viewing it as a decent plan overall.

"Fine then," said Burgh with a smile. "I'll battle you."

All of a sudden, Burgh looked directly at Callie, his eyes widening as if he had just come to some sort of great revelation.

"Me?" said Callie. "Really?"

"Yes, you!" said Burgh. "You did save that girl's Eevee after all, no?"

"Er, well, sort of — Hugh helped," said Callie sheepishly as she noticed Hugh's mouth drop in disbelief.

Burgh waved a dismissive hand. "It was you I saw that day —"

_"I was there!" _Hugh groaned plaintively.

"It was you that went after Team Plasma first," said Burgh, ignoring Hugh. "The care you have for all pokémon, and the bond you share with your own. . . . That's inspiration!"

Wes smiled and gave Callie an encouraging nod. So, Callie smiled softly and looked back towards Burgh, nodding.

"Alright — you're on."

And just like that, Callie and her friends were led to the battling arena, and Callie and Burgh stood on opposite sides of the field. Between them stood the referee, and he stepped forward to say a few words.

"The gym battle between Gym Leader Burgh and Challenger Callie Freer is about to begin. Both sides will be allowed three pokémon each — no substitutions will be allowed for either side. The first one to have all their pokémon defeated will be the winner!"

As the referee stepped off the field, Burgh smiled. "Now, Callie, I hope you know, just because you were able to defeat Team Plasma and help clear the city of such vermin, it doesn't mean I'll be going easy on you!"

"I wouldn't want you to go easy on me, Burgh," Callie said. However, Callie noticed something very odd — she wasn't as excited as she was when she battle Roxie.

"Perfect," said Burgh. "Before we battle though, I must say, good work back there in the sewers. My Bug-type pokémon should be scurrying with excitement about getting to battle you."

"Bug-types. . . . Right," Callie said, frowning some. She really wasn't a fan of bugs.

Burgh saw the look on her face and frowned. "What? Are you not a fan of Bug-types? My, my, my, I do hope this battle helps you see how wonderful they are. I'd say my Bug-type pokémon are pretty great!"

"I'm sure they are," Callie said. "I'm just not a big fan of bugs."

"I see," said Burgh with a frown. "That's quite disappointing."

"It's alright, Burgh," said Callie. "Let's see if you can change my mind — Growlithe, come on out!"

Callie released Growlithe on the field, and her Fire-type pokémon was smiling triumphantly. Growlithe was a stronger battler, and Callie was confident in his ability. However, as Callie stood there, seconds away from battling, she still didn't feel any excitement, no adrenaline rush that filled her with anticipation of what was to come.

"Well then," Burgh said. "Lights, please! Time to show you what Bug-type pokémon are made off! Dwebble, dear, spot light!"

Burgh released a small, orange hermit crab-like pokémon with large pincers. It had dark, oval-sharped eyes supported by eye stalks, and it wore a large grey rock as a shell.

"What is that?" Callie said as she pulled out her PokéDex.

"Dwebble, the Rock Inn Pokémon. After finding a suitable rock, Dwebble digs a hole in the rock's bottom to use as a protective shell. Dwebble can make rocks easier to carve by producing a liquid from its mouth."

"Huh," Callie muttered, tucking her PokéDex away. "Well, a Bug-type is a Bug-type, right, Growlithe? We'll take care of Dwebble, no doubt!"

"Growl-growl!" Growlithe growled in agreement.

"Well, it seems as though you two are a very spirited and confident pair," said Burgh with a smile. "By all means, why don't you have the first move?"

Callie smiled. "Alright, perfect! Growlithe, use Flamethrower!"

"Protect, Dwebble!" Burgh called.

Growlithe let forth a powerful Flamethrower attack, aiming straight towards Dwebble. However, the Bug-type pokémon quickly lowered its head and pulled into its shell, just as a turquoise force field appeared around its body. Flamethrower made contact with the shield, but it couldn't pierce it, and Growlithe's Flamethrower disappeared. The turquoise shield faded, and Dwebble appeared from its shell, smirking softly.

"So, you know a few tricks, hm?" Callie muttered. "Fine, Growlithe, use Flamethrower again!"

"Growl!"

Growlithe used Flamethrower again, and Callie smiled — Dwebble wouldn't be able to muster another Protect in time.

"Dwebble, dodge it with Dig!" Burgh called.

Callie watched in shock as Dwebble dug into the ground with amazing speed, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Growlithe's Flamethrower attack missed, going straight over the hole, and leaving Growlithe standing there, looking around the field anxiously.

"Now, Dwebble!"

Suddenly, Dwebble burst from the ground directly below Growlithe, sending him flying backwards.

"Dwebble — follow it up with X-Scissor!" Burgh said.

Dwebble jumped into the air, abandoning its shell, both of its claws glowing light blue. It then crossed its claws in front of its body and fell towards Growth, a light blue 'X' like energy appearing in front of Dwebble's claws as it slammed into Growlithe. Then, once it was finished, Dwebble quickly returned to its shell. The speed at which Dwebble did it all left Callie speechless — Burgh's Dwebble was even faster than Roxie's Koffing!

"Your Dwebble," Callie muttered. "It's so fast!"

Burgh smiled. "Ah, so you've noticed! You see, Dwebble's rock shell is actually lighter than average, allowing my Dwebble to move at incredible speeds!"

Callie frowned as she looked at Growlithe — Dwebble's X-Scissor had pushed him back several yards, and Growlithe was just now pushing himself to his feet. He stood there a bit shakily before glancing over his shoulder at Callie, giving her a confident smirk and a small nod.

Callie felt herself smile. "I knew I could count on you, Growlithe," Callie said with a smile. Then, with a more determined look on her face, Callie turned her attention back to the battle. "Alright, Growlithe — let's fight speed with speed! Use Agility, then use Flame Wheel!"

"Growl!"

Growlithe took off at amazing speeds, definitely rivaling Dwebble's natural pace. Then he broke into a Flame Wheel, barreling towards Dwebble at a devastating rate. Callie knew that one good hit would help even the battle, and no doubt, Growlithe would hit Dwebble this time.

Burgh smiled softly, obviously amused. "Dwebble — Protect!"

Another green shield appeared, and Growlithe ran straight into it, nullifying his Flame Wheel. Growlithe rebounded off the Protect attack and fell backwards on the ground.

"Now, quickly, Dwebble," Burgh called. "Rock Wrecker!"

Dwebble put its claws together, and a small grey stone with a red aura around it began to take form between then. The rock then grew larger until it was as big as Dwebble itself, and suddenly the red aura disappeared. Then, Dwelled fired the stone directly at Growlithe.

"No, Growlithe, move!" Callie exclaimed.

But it was too late. Rock Wrecker hit Growlithe point blank, erupting in a giant cloud of smoke and dust, blocking Growlithe from view. When the dust cleared, however, it was revealed that Growlithe had been knocked out.

"Growlithe is unable to battle!" the referee called. "Dwebble is the winner!"

Callie returned Growlithe to his pokéball, frowning softly.

"You did a good job, Growlithe," Callie said quietly. "Thank you."

She then looked across the field to Burgh, who stood proudly behind his Dwebble.

"So, I can see that your Dwebble is not only fast, but strong as well," said Callie. "It took Growlithe down with ease."

"Well, I did tell you I'd change your mind about Bug-types, didn't I?" said Burgh with a smile. "However, while Dwebble's speed and strength may have aided in Growlithe's defeat, I think the real key was you."

"Me?" said Callie. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you played right into my trap," said Burgh with a smile. "Right until the very end!"

"What do you mean?" Callie said, her eyes widening. "You planned the entire thing?"

"Of course!" said Burgh. "I knew the moment you called upon Growlithe that you were a trainer that was all brawn and no brain — there's not a strategy in your mind except to attack."

Callie frowned, growling in irritation. "Th-that's not true!"

"I'm not so sure — this seems to be just like what I told you all. I can predict how every battle will end," said Burgh with a shrug.

Callie narrowed her eyes slightly. From the side lines, Wes called out.

"Callie, c'mon — get out of your head!" Wes called. "Focus on the battle! Come on!"

Callie paused — was Wes right? Was she really stuck in her head? She thought back to that day she found Celebi in the woods; when Wes and Hugh were training, he had told Hugh the same thing.

_"You've got to learn to get out of your head. You have to completely focus on the battle, and you always want to be one step ahead of your opponent."_

Wes was right; she had been stuck in her head, which allowed Burgh to stay one step ahead of her the entire time.

Burgh smirked ever so softly. "Well, I think I'm going to be winning our battle today. But, by all means, prove me wrong — give me the inspiration I'm seeking!"

Callie clenched her jaw tightly, now more determined to win this battle — she had to get out of her head. She was going to stay one step ahead of Burgh. He thought she was all brawn and no brain? Huh, well, she'd just have to show him. Annoyed, she tucked Growlithe's pokéball away and pulled another one from her belt.

"Alright, Riolu, I choose you!"

In a red flash appeared Riolu, who seemed to know exactly what he was being summoned for. He looked ready for battle, staring across the field to Dwebble, smiling softly.

"I see," said Burgh, smirking ever so slightly. "You may have just made this interesting."

"Just you wait and see," Callie said with a smile. "Riolu, Quick Attack!"

"Dwebble, use Protect!"

Riolu rushed forward, ramming into Dwebble's Protect. As one would expect, Dwebble's Protect held true, easily withstanding Riolu's Quick Attack. Riolu skidded back some, but not much, only inches between he and Dwebble.

"Now, Riolu — use Force Palm!" Callie called.

Riolu nodded and slammed his paw against Dwebble's green shield, a huge yellow light blasting from his paw. Once again though, Dwebble's Protect withstood the attack.

"So, you thought that would really work?" said Burgh with a grin. "Dwebble isn't just some weak pokémon — it's a Bug-type!"

"Well, we'll just see how strong it really is," said Callie. "Riolu, use Force Palm again! Keep it up until Dwebble's Protect fails!"

Riolu then proceeded to apply a barrage of Force Palm attacks to Dwebble's Protect. The shield help for several strikes from Riolu. However, with one final strike, Dwebble's Protect shattered, and Riolu's Force Palm attack made full contact.

"Dwebble!" Dwelled cried out, skidding backwards.

"Dwebble, no!" Burgh called out, his eyes widening.

"Now, Riolu, use Quick Attack again!" Callie said.

Riolu took off at amazing speeds, easily closing the distance between he and Dwebble, who was still struggling to recover from the last attack.

"Now, Force Palm, one more time!" Callie called out.

Riolu nodded and reached out, pressing his palm to Dwebble's shell. Dwebble looks up at Riolu with wide eyes, and before it could react, a yellow light burst forward from Riolu's paw, sending Dwebble flying back once more. Dwebble landed roughly, and this time, it didn't get up.

"Dwebble is unable to battle, which means Riolu is the winner!" called out the referee.

Burgh smiled lightly, returning his Dwebble to its pokéball.

"I see — you knew that Dwebble's Protect couldn't last forever, so you used a barrage of Force Palms to catch it off guard the moment its Protect failed. Perhaps there is more than just brawn," said Burgh with a simple shrug.

Then he smiled and pulled another pokéball from his belt.

"Perhaps this battle will prove to be more interesting than I thought! Now, Whirlipede, take the stage!"

"A Whirlipede, hm?" Callie muttered. Roxie had used a Whirlipede during their gym battle, but that time, Growlithe had taken it out. "Well, Riolu, what do you say? Are you ready?"

"Ri-ri!" Riolu said with a nod.

And with that, Burgh released Whirlipede onto the field.

"Whirlipede, use Poison Sting!" called Burgh.

"Riolu, use Detect!" Callie directed.

As the two of them began to battle, Wes and Hugh were talking quietly to one another in the stands as they spectated.

"Something seems off about Callie, don't you think?" said Hugh as he and Wes watched her direct Riolu to use Dig to get out of Whirlipede's Steamroller attack.

"She's stuck in her head," Wes muttered. "She and Growlithe couldn't even land a hit a Dwebble. Callie's better than that — she and Growlithe could have taken out Dwebble if they really tried. But her head is somewhere else right now. She's not focused."

"You seem to forget that she's still recovering from losing Zoro," Hugh said as Riolu struck Whirlipede with a Force Palm, sending it flying. "She's bound to still be struggling with it."

"But this is a battle," Wes said. "She has to be focused!"

"It's not always that easy," said Hugh. "Just give her time."

Wes gave a heavy sigh and nodded, and the two boys focused back on the battle.

"Riolu, surface!" Callie called out.

The ground beneath Whirlipede trembled violently as Riolu burst from underneath it, striking Whirlipede and sending it flying into the air.

"Now, Riolu, use Force Palm again while it's defenseless!" Callie called — Whirlipede was fast, but it couldn't dodge easily in the air.

"Quickly, Whirlipede — Iron Defense!" Burgh called — Callie couldn't be sure, but it almost looked like Burgh seemed a bit panicked. However, it was a very brief moment, and Burgh soon returned to that confident, lopsided grin he favored.

"Whirli!" Whirlipede sounded off in agreement as it carried out Burgh's orders.

Whirlipede's body became outlined in light blue, and the moments later, a white shine went up its body, and its body seemed to have turned into iron for a moment. Riolu then used Force Palm, which sent Whirlipede flying. It landed on the ground and skidded several feet, but managed to stay standing. It was panting heavily; Whirlipede had obviously taken damage, but not as much as Callie would have expected after it had been hit with two Force Palm attacks.

"Iron Defense is quite the move, isn't it?" Burgh called, smiling ever so slightly. "Your Riolu won't be doing much damage if it's constantly relying on that weak Force Palm. This battle is proving to be very boring after all."

"We'll just see about that!" Callie snapped. "Riolu, use Quick Attack, go!"

"Ri-ri!"

Riolu took off towards Whirlipede with amazing speed, but Burgh wasn't going to let Riolu get too close.

"Whirlipede, use Steamroller!"

"Whirl!"

Whirlipede leapt into the air and its body began spinning rapidly. Then, the tips of its antennae started to glow white, and it came rolling towards Riolu. With Riolu using Quick Attack, there was very little time for them to dodge the attack.

"Riolu, get out of the way!" Callie called out.

But it was too late — Riolu and Whirlipede were both going too fast for Riolu to get out of the way. Whirlipede slammed into Riolu, sending him flying backwards. Riolu crashed into the ground, letting out of loud grunt as he landed.

Burgh smiled and immediately seized his opportunity to attack.

"Whirlipede, quickly now — use Solar Beam!" Burgh called.

Whirlipede nodded and turned towards Riolu, who was struggling to stand. The front two antennae on Whirlipede's body started to glow a golden hue as it gathered energy from the sun. As it did, golden energy started to form between the two antennae, which eventually formed into a glowing white orb of energy, with a shimmering golden aura around the energy orb.

"Riolu, you've got to get out of the way!" Callie called. "Quickly!"

Riolu tried to push himself up, but it was then that Whirlipede fired a powerful golden blast from the orb at Riolu. The powerful Solar Beam attack hit Riolu head on, causing a small explosion of dust and dirt on impact.

Once the dirt settled, Callie watched with wide eyes as she saw Riolu kneeling on the ground, panting quite heavily.

"Riolu!" Callie exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"Ri. . . . Riolu," he grunted.

Amazingly, Riolu pushed himself shakily to his feet, and he looked over his shoulder at Callie, giving her a thumb up before turning back to face Whirlipede.

"Riolu. . . ," Callie whispered in disbelief. Then, she smiled softly and nodded. "Alright, Riolu, let's do this!"

Burgh smirked, obviously amused.

"Your Riolu doesn't know when to quit, does it?" Burgh said. "Well, I guess that is, in itself, a bit inspiring. . . . But it won't be for long — Whirlipede, finish this with Steamroller!"

"Riolu, use Dig to dodge it!" Callie called out.

Whirlipede came at Riolu with another Steamroller attack. Riolu, however, didn't move.

"Riolu?" Callie said, her eyes widening. "What are you doing? Use Dig and get out of there!"

_"Ri. . . ," _Riolu growled lowly.

A sudden reddish-orange aura suddenly formed around Riolu as he stared across the field to Whirlipede, who was rushing towards him thanks to Steamroller.

"What's happening?" Callie said, her eyes wide. "Riolu?"

_"Ri!"_ Riolu suddenly exclaimed.

Then he ran forward, bringing his paw back and forming a fist as he sprinted towards Whirlipede. Then, just as the two were about to collide, Riolu threw a punch, making contact with Whirlipede.

"Riolu!" Callie exclaimed — there was no way Riolu could stop Whirlipede's Steamroller.

However, much to everyone's surprise, when Riolu's fist made contact with Whirlipede, it stopped the Bug-type pokémon in its tracks. Then, with a loud grunt, Riolu followed through with his punch, sending Whirlipede flying. It flew through the air, out of the arena, past Burgh, and crashing into a wall.

"Whirlipede!" Burgh exclaimed, his eyes widening.

Whirlipede, however, slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Whirlipede is unable to battle — Riolu is the winner!" the referee announced.

"Riolu! That was amazing!" Callie exclaimed to her pokémon. "But — what move was that?"

She pulled out her PokéDex, and Dexter immediately began talking.

"Reversal — it is an all-out attack that becomes more powerful the weaker the user is," said Dexter.

"So you learned a new move, huh?" said Callie with a smile. "Great job!"

"Ri!" Riolu said with a smile, panting slightly — he was definitely worn out from battle.

"I must admit, your Riolu really surprised me there," said Burgh. "I thought for sure that we had this in the bag, but alas, that Reversal was powerful enough to knock out my Whirlipede!"

"How are you feeling, Burgh?" said Callie. "Have you found the inspiration you've been looking for?"

"Close, but not yet," Burgh said as he returned his Whirlipede and pulled out another pokéball. "So what if your Riolu was able to beat my Whirlipede, eh? It doesn't matter! My last pokémon is the only one I need — get ready to meet my muse! Leavanny, please, my dear friend! Let's finish this together!"

The pokémon Burgh released was a thin, yellow, bug pokémon that had a broad, split leaf around its large, round head and it had long antennae that ended in semicircles. Its eyes were red, and its tiny thorax was dark green, and its long abdomen was yellow and covered in green leaves.

"I've never seen that pokémon before," Callie muttered while pointing her PokéDex towards Leavanny.

"Leavanny, the Nurturing Pokémon and Sewaddle's final evolutionary form. Using sticky threads that come from its mouth, it makes clothes for Sewaddle by sewing leaves together," said Dexter.

"So, this is your last pokémon, huh?" Callie muttered, tucking her PokéDex away. "Well, we'll make quick work of it, won't we, Riolu? Now, use Quick Attack to get in close, and then use Reversal!"

Riolu nodded and took off towards Leavanny.

"Dodge it, Leavanny!" Burgh called.

However, Riolu was moving just a bit too fast, and before Leavanny could move out of his way, Riolu was able to land a punch on Leavanny, sending it skidding backwards a few feet as it cried out. Burgh frowned some.

"Leavanny, are you okay?" he called.

"Vanny!" Leavanny grunted, smirking confidently as it stared down Riolu.

"Good!" Burgh called. "Now, Leavanny, use Leaf Storm!"

"Use Detect, Riolu!" Callie directed.

Leavanny raised its arm and its body became outlined in turquoise energy, It was then surrounded by a large number of glowing green leaves, which it then fired at Riolu. However, Riolu's eyes began glowing green, and Riolu was able to gracefully dodge each leaf with ease. However, this didn't seem to bother Burgh in the slightest. In fact, he was smiling as he spoke.

"Leavanny, dear, if you don't mind — use String Shot!"

_"Leavanny!"_ the Bug-type sang in response.

"Riolu, dodge it!" Callie called out.

However, Riolu's eyes were no longer glowing green, and he was standing, frozen in place, stuck in some trance-like state. Callie's eyes widened — how could she have forgotten about this particular side effect?

Leavanny released a stream of sticky white string from its mouth at Riolu. With amazing accuracy, Riolu's feet were covered by Leavanny's String Shot, which glued him in place.

"Riolu, no!" Callie exclaimed.

Suddenly, Riolu came too, and he looked around slowly, obviously still dazed.

Burgh smiled softly. "Now, finish it with Hyper Beam!"

_"Leavanny!"_ Leavanny sang again.

"Riolu, get out of there!" Callie called.

Riolu tried to move, but his feet were being held firmly in place by Leavanny's String Shot. Leavanny formed a pink orb of energy with a white orb of energy around it in between its antennae. The orb then grew larger and Leavanny fired a powerful red beam of energy directly at Riolu. Still stuck in place due to Leavanny's String Shot, Riolu was unable to get out of the way, and he took the full brunt of the attack.

"Riolu, no!" Callie cried.

Riolu fell backwards, unmoving.

"Riolu is unable to battle!" the referee called. "Leavanny is the winner!"

Burgh smiled triumphantly, and Callie returned Riolu to his pokéball.

"You did a great job, Riolu," said Callie with a smile. "You rest now. I'll take care of everything else."

She tucked his pokéball away and stopped for a moment, considering her next move — she could either send out Dewott, or she could send out Shinx, neither of which had a particular advantage over Leavanny. In fact, Dewott was at a disadvantage, with Leavanny being a Bug and Grass-type, meanwhile he was just a Water-type. However, now that he had evolved into Dewott, he was considerably stronger. . . .

Suddenly, Callie paused — she was feeling it! The excitement! The adrenaline rush! Finally, she was really feeling better! For a brief moment, she couldn't remember what had been bothering her.

"Well, are you going to be sending out your last pokémon then?" said Burgh with a smile, bringing Callie out of her thoughts. "Or do you know already that there's no point, because I'll be able to defeat you no matter what?"

Callie's jaw clenched, and she let out a growl of irritation — how could he be so arrogant? She had to make a decision on her last pokémon and prove Burgh wrong —

"Alright, here we go then!" she snapped, pulling a pokéball from her belt. "I choose you!"

She threw the pokéball forward, and in a red flash, Dewott appeared on the field, smiling.

"What?" called Hugh from the sidelines. "Not Dewott!"

"Callie!" Wes shouted. "Dewott is at a disadvantage!"

"Relax!" Callie snapped. "I know what I'm doing — I have faith in Dewott! I know he can do it! Isn't that right, Dewott?"

"Wott!" Dewott said with a smile.

"Ah, the bond you and your pokémon have," said Burgh, the ever so slightest smile on his face. "It's so inspiring!"

"Well, you haven't seen anything yet!" Callie called. "Dewott, use Focus Energy!"

"Ott!" Dewott responded. Then, a light blue aura surrounded his body, and Dewott smirked slightly.

"Perfect!" Callie smiled. "Dewott, use Water Gun!"

"Dew!"

Dewott fired a super powerful Water Gun attack at Leavanny, but Burgh was quick to react.

"Leavanny, use Protect!"

Suddenly, a bluish-green force field appeared around Leavanny's body, protecting it easily as Dewott's super-charged Water Gun collided with it. Leavanny easily withstood the attack thanks to its Protect shield, and when Dewott's Water Gun subsided, Leavanny was left standing there triumphantly.

"Leavanny, use String Shot to keep them in place!" Burgh ordered.

"Dewott, get out of there!" Callie called.

Dewott jumped out of the way just as Leavanny shot the sticky string at him. However, Leavanny wasn't going to let him get away, and as Dewott was in midair, Leavanny shot it String Shot at him and managed to hit him, causing Dewott to fall to the ground.

"Dewott, no!" Callie exclaimed.

"Now, Leavanny, use Hyper Beam!" called Burgh.

Once again, Leavanny formed a pink orb of energy with a white orb of energy around it in between its antennae. The orb then grew larger and Leavanny fired a powerful red beam of energy directly at Dewott.

"Dewott!" Callie cried. "Deflect Hyper Beam with Razor Shell!"

"Wott!"

Dewott crossed his arms in front of his chest and grabbed the two scalchops on his legs using the hand from the opposite side of his body. When he grabbed the scalchops, they both started to glow yellow and a light blue aura appeared around them. The aura then stretched and hardened, forming into two curved blades of energy. Dewott then crossed the two blades in front of his body just in time, meeting Leavanny's Hyper Beam with great force. The two attacks met, and their collision caused a small explosion, the force of which freed Dewott from Leavanny's String Shot and sent him flying backwards.

"Quick thinking," said Burgh with a smile. "But little tricks like that aren't enough to win you this battle! Leavanny, use Leaf Storm!"

"Counter it, Dewott!" Callie said. "Focus Energy straight into Water Gun, let's go!"

"Dew!"

The two attacks collided with a good bit of force, knocking both pokémon back several feet. However, they both managed to hold their ground, both of them panting heavily — they were both beginning to tire out.

"Alright, Leavanny, finish this — use String Shot, now!" called Burgh.

Leavanny shot a sticky stream of string at Dewott, covering him from head to toe.

"Now, use Leaf Storm!" Burgh exclaimed.

"Dewott! Use Razor Shell to cut through the String Shot quickly and get out of there!" Callie called.

Dewott nodded, and just as he began to cut through the string left behind from Leavanny's attack, Leavanny used Leaf Storm. Dewott was quick though, and he managed to cut the String Shot around his feet, allowing him to move. However, the rest of his body was still covered in String Shot, which slowed him down considerably, and he got caught up in Leavanny's Leaf Storm. Dewott was thrown up into the air, and he was then trapped in a spinning vortex of leaves.

_"Dew!"_ Dewott cried out, obviously in pain.

"That Leaf Storm is super effective against Dewott!" Wes called out. "You've got to get him out of there!"

"I know!" Callie snapped, not taking her eyes off Dewott — how was she going to get him out of there? That String Shot was a problem, constantly slowing him down. . . .

"I got it!" Callie suddenly exclaimed. "Dewott! I want you to dive into Leaf Storm while spinning, okay?"

"Wott?" Dewott grunted, looking at her curiously.

"Just trust me!" Callie said, her eyes wide.

Dewott smiled softly and nodded before doing exactly as he was told — he turned and began to dive down into the Leaf Storm attack, spinning in the same direction of the leaf vortex. Dewott dove towards the bottom and managed to break out of the Leaf Storm. As Leavanny's Leaf Storm died down, Dewott landed on the ground, looking ready for battle.

Burgh seemed very impressed by the fact that Dewott was still standing, which he tried to not make obvious when he spoke.

"So, your Dewott is still standing, eh?" said Burgh, trying to seem nonchalant. "I must admit, it was smart to have him dive into the Leaf Storm attack while spinning — it helped him avoid taking as much damage. But he won't be able to avoid taking damage from our next move — Leavanny, use Hyper Beam!"

Callie smiled softly as Leavanny powered up its Hyper Beam.

"Well, I hate to break it to you, Burgh, but diving into the Leaf Storm while spinning did a lot more than help minimize the damage Dewott took — it also helped weaken Leavanny's String Shot!"

"What?" Burgh said, he eyes widening.

"Dewott, shake off that String Shot and dodge that Hyper Beam!" Callie called.

Dewott smiled and easily shook off the weakened String Shot before leaping into the air, no longer being slowed down by it. He was able to easily dodge Leavanny's Hyper Beam attack, which meant it was their turn to strike.

"Alright, Dewott!" Callie called. "Focus Energy, let's go!"

"Dewott!" Dewott exclaimed, a blue aura forming around his body.

"Now, let's finish this, Dewott — Razor Shell!"

Dewott nodded and drew his scalchops from his legs, a blue blade forming on either one. Then he dove at Leavanny with a high burst of speed, his light blue aura around him. It was so fast, both Burgh and Leavanny simply stood there in awe, neither one able to think of anything except the demonstration of sheer speed in front of them. Dewott then easily slashed Leavanny with his Razor Shell attack, sending the Bug-type flying backwards. Leavanny crashed into the ground before Burgh, kicking up lots of dirt and dust. Finally, the dust settled, and laying on the ground, completely unconscious, was Leavanny.

"Leavanny?!" Burgh exclaimed. "No!"

"Leavanny is unable to battle; Dewott is the winner. Which means that this battle will go to the challenger, Callie Freer!" the referee called.

A great roar of cheer and applause came from Wes and Hugh, who stood up and clapped loudly. Callie stood there, her heart pounding, her mind racing — they had . . . won?

Suddenly a great force collided with Callie, knocking her backwards, and her attention was brought to Dewott, who had apparently tackled his trainer in excitement.

The two fell to the ground, dazed for just a moment. However, when Callie looked down at Dewott and met his gaze, she couldn't help but smile and burst into laughter.

"Dewott!" she exclaimed as she embraced her pokémon. "We did it! You were amazing!"

"Dew! Dew!" Dewott cheered.

Burgh returned his Leavanny with a sigh, and he looked across the field to Callie and Dewott, both of them laughing madly as they celebrated. Something about the way they looked when they embraced, both of them smiling broadly as the sun shined down on them heavily. . . .

"That's it!" Burgh whispered with wide eyes. "Yes! That's it!"

Callie and Dewott stopped laughing and looked at Burgh curiously. Wes and Hugh even paused their celebration and watched as the gym leader clapped his hands together excitedly. Burgh was smiling wildly, obviously greatly delighted.

"This battle is exactly what I needed!" Burgh exclaimed. "The bond you and your pokémon share — it's like nothing I've ever seen!"

Callie and Dewott smiled softly as they got to their feet.

"Well thanks, Burgh, I-I appreciate it," Callie said with a grin.

"No, do not be thanking me! I should be thanking you! You've given me my inspiration back!" Burgh said with a smile. "Oh, I could never thank you enough, truly! Here! Please, take it, take it!"

Burgh rushed forward and placed something in her hand.

"It's the Insect Badge!" Burgh exclaimed.

Callie smiled, looking down at the badge — it was a beautiful shade of green, and was shaped like the wings and body of an insect. She then looked down at Dewott, showing him the badge eagerly.

"We did it, buddy!" Callie said gleefully.

_"Dew-ott!"_

* * *

"Wow, Callie, that battle was amazing!" Hugh said excitedly as the three of them stood outside the Castelia City Gym.

"Thanks, Hugh," said Callie. "I got lucky when Riolu learned Reversal."

"That wasn't all luck," said Burgh as he walked out of the gym. "You and your pokémon battled spectacularly! Really!"

Callie blushed slightly, and Wes clapped her on her shoulder. "They're not wrong, y'know. You and your pokémon were great out there! You really earned that badge!"

Callie smiled and looked down at the badge in her hand before smiling and looking up at her friends and Burgh. "Yeah, I guess you're right!"

"So, Burgh! When do we get to battle you?" said Hugh eagerly.

"Why don't you boys come back tomorrow?" Burgh suggested. "I'll make sure to have another team of pokémon ready, and I'll battle you both tomorrow, alright?"

"Wow, really?" said Hugh.

"That's be great!" Wes said.

"Fantastic!" said Burgh. "Now, if you don't mind — I must go! I have all this inspiration, and I feel the need to do something with it! I'll see you all tomorrow!"

Bidding farewell, Burgh disappeared inside the gym, and Callie looked to Hugh and Wes.

"Well, I think I'm going to go get my pokémon to Nurse Joy," said Callie. "Are you coming?"

And with that, the three of them headed back to the Pokémon Center, Hugh and Wes both eagerly looking forward to their battles tomorrow. Callie, however, was practically glowing with pride — she had done it. She and her pokémon had won their third gym badge!

* * *

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! That's it for chapter fourteen! I hope you enjoyed! Things are really about to start getting really exciting! Lots of fun plot points coming up! I hope you all enjoy it! Please feel free to let me know what you all think of this chapter and this story so far! I can't wait to hear from you! Chapter fifteen will be out soon!**


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